Category: Blessings

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Some Gave All

“As a good soldier of Christ Jesus, accept your share of the troubles we have. 4 A soldier wants to please his commanding officer, so he does not spend any time on activities that are not a part of his duty.” II Timothy 2:3-4 ERV

As we draw near to Independence Day, my heart is filled with gratitude for all those who have served selflessly in our military. The gift of freedom that they have fought and died to preserve is priceless.

Valley Forge. Battle of New Orleans. Shiloh. Gettysburg. The Alamo. San Juan Hill. Flanders Field. Pearl Harbor. Normandy. Korea. Viet Nam. Desert Storm. Iran. Afghanistan.

These battles have tested our country’s resolve almost to the breaking point and still our flag waves.

I love this country and I’m patriotic and proud to call America my home. I don’t approve of some of the things that have been done in this nation, but I still believe there is no better place on earth to live.

Dave and I watch lots of movies on the history of our country. We want to know the legacy of the men and women who fought so valiantly to protect the freedoms we have. The other day we watched one on the Battle of San Juan Hill.

It was July 1, 1898, one hundred twenty-three years ago, when our forces went to Cuba to stop the tyranny of Spain in that country. Over 140 men died and another 1000+ were wounded. The American men were greatly outnumbered by their enemies’ forces, but they fought on to liberate the Cuba nationals.

Sad to say but our nation’s brave history isn’t talked about much anymore. I, for one want to use this weekend as a time of remembrance and resolve. I proudly display the red, white and blue of our flag and stand to sing our national anthem.

I am thankful that God saw fit to see that I was born in such a land – a land of the free and home to the brave.

God bless America
Land that I love
Stand beside her
And guide her
Through the night with a light from above

From the mountains
To the prairies
To the oceans white with foam

God bless America
My home, sweet home

Thank a soldier for their service and thank God for our freedom!

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Special Memories

This morning I sat for quite a while staring at the ring on my hand. It’s a turquoise ring that my father had made for my mother over 40 years ago. About 20 years ago Mom gave it to me; she knew turquoise was my favorite.

This morning I am especially reflective on such a wonderful gift. Mom passed away, at 97, just over three week ago and now Dave and I are camping in the mountains at one of Dad’s favorite places to fish.

Mom wasn’t big on fishing but she was big on being with Dad and she loved coming to this mountain lake. Dave remembers times that he and Dad would make the drive up the mountain for a one day fishing adventure. Our oldest kids, who are now 46 and 44, have pictures of them standing on the shore of this lake with Grampa.

Yes, special memories!

But the ring…

I wasn’t a girl who wanted diamonds or other shiny gem stones, no, turquoise was the stone that caught my eye. Can you imagine how surprised I was when one day I found that turquoise was an important stone to God?

Moses received instructions from the Lord on how to build everything in the Tabernacle. He also received precise instructions on the clothing that the high priest was to wear. There were instructions for the priest’s turban, his linen tunic, the ephod and the breastplate.

“Make the chestpiece of a single piece of cloth folded to form a pouch nine inches square. 17 Mount four rows of gemstones on it. The first row will contain a red carnelian, a pale-green peridot, and an emerald. 18 The second row will contain a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, and a white moonstone. 19 The third row will contain an orange jacinth, an agate, and a purple amethyst. 20 The fourth row will contain a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. All these stones will be set in gold filigree.” Exodus 28:16-20 NLT

It’s my understanding that the twelve gemstones were to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The high priest was responsible for bringing their gifts and sacrifices to the Lord. And turquoise was right there in the second row!

The stone I love so much was important to the Lord too.

Mom and Dad are both in heaven where they are young, strong and praising Jesus. They are walking on streets made of gold and see gates made of pearl. There are no tears or pain, they are in the presence of their Heavenly Father and of Jesus, their Savior.

This turquoise ring is now on my hand, wrinkled as it may be, but it is a reminder of what was – the love between my mom and dad and also of what will be – a glorious family reunion that some day awaits.

What memories bring you joy as we get closer to Father’s Day?

May you always be flooded with the awareness of our Heavenly Father’s love and all that He has provided.

Special Memories!

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Building Up!

Each morning before the day has dawned I hear the birds singing in the trees. It’s dark out – we can’t tell if the sky is cloudy or clear, but the tone of the day is set. It’s a day to be joyful and it’s a day to share joy with others!

Someone needs your song today. Someone needs a word of encouragement. Someone needs to be built up.

Yesterday was an ordinary day. Dave and I spent most of our time sitting under the awning and taking in the beauty of our campground. But before day’s end it was a day to encourage; it was the day for a hug.

The lady in the next campsite had a bad day, a really bad day. I barely know her but I really sensed that the Lord wanted me to talk with her, to listen to her heart and to give her a hug and a prayer.

I used to be really timid about doing things like this but when you know it’s God you have to be obedient.

As we sat at her picnic table I listened to her heart. It was aching. I told her I believed in the power of prayer and I would be praying for her. She said she did too. She was facing losing her job but even more than that she had been slandered. I told her the Lord always has a bigger plan and we can trust Him to work things out for our good.

In a few short hours the situation had changed. God had intervened!

“We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.” Romans 15:2 NLT

Who can you encourage? Be like those birds I hear singing outside my window. Share your song.

Build someone up!

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Good For All Time

Every day I ask the Lord to show me something new. I never want to quit learning. I want increase in knowledge of natural things and in spiritual things.

Yesterday, I was reading the list of items the Lord told Moses would be needed in building the Tent of Meeting. This would be the portable place of worship where the priests would offer sacrifices for the people and would also offer prayers of repentance and thanksgiving.

There were all the things you would expect to find when for erecting such a structure – gold, silver, wood for the tables, bronze, oil, spices, precious stones, linen for the priests’ garments but there was one item I did not expect to find, seal skins.

Seal skins? That was odd.

Dave and I talked about it, and I went to the maps in the back of my Bible to see where they might have gotten seal skins. The Israelites were still traveling in the wilderness and weren’t close to any seaports that I could tell so I’m not sure how this was a thing. I learned something new.

I also learn something new about my husband’s camping experiences when he was a kid. He asked me what I remember about being in the mountains with my family and then told me things he did with his cousins and the fun they had. When we love someone, we should want to know all we can about them.

Our walk with the Lord should never be something we take for granted, consider passe` or old fashioned. It should be more contemporary than the newest software, technology advancement or medical breakthrough.

Our love for Him should have us asking questions and learning new things in our relationship with the Father. God is practical but complex. He is the God of all generations.

“I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. 2 I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. 3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. 4 Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. 5 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles…For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.”
Psalm 145:1-4, 13 NLT

God’s kingdom will last forever. He will rule in every generation. He is good for all time.

I encourage you to ask the Father to show you something new today or to remind you of something you have forgotten. You may be surprised by what He teaches you when your heart is opened to learn.  

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Protection & Sleep

How did you sleep last night?

Mine was interrupted with dreams and not all of them were pleasant. That doesn’t happen very often but when it does my first thoughts after waking are filled with prayers for the people who were in my dreams and then I pray for restored peace in my own heart.

I was a child who was plagued with nightmares. My sleep was anything but restful. In my twenties I read this verse and it became mine.

“When I go to bed, I sleep in peace, because, Lord, you keep me safe.” Psalm 4:8 ERV

That really put an end to bad dreams. Now, when I have a dream that unsettles me I pray. As I said the primary focus of my prayer is for those who were in the dream with me. I can’t know if they are having a difficult time and are worried or afraid so I pray for them to be wrapped in peace and then I pray for my own peace to be restored.

Rest is from God. It is His way of “rest”-oring our strength for the day ahead.

I spend quite a bit of time reading Proverbs. I love the nuggets of wisdom and instruction for daily life that I find there. Chapter three is one of my favorites and the first few verses of that chapter have been my primary focus. They give instruction on trusting and following the Lord’s leading and not depending on my own knowledge and understanding.

But this morning these verses lept from the page:

“My son, don’t ever let wisdom out of your sight. Hold on to wisdom and careful planning. 22 They will bring you a long life filled with honor. 23 As you go through life, you will always be safe and never fall. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid. When you rest, your sleep will be peaceful. 25 You have no reason to fear a sudden disaster or the destruction that comes to the wicked. 26 You can trust the Lord to protect you. He will not let you fall into harm.” Proverbs 3:21-26 ERV

Wisdom, honor, safety, sleep, no reason to fear, trust, protection! These verses are packed with expressions of the Lord’s loving-kindness.

I don’t know what situations I will face today, neither do you, but whatever may come these verses promise us the Lord’s protection.

Safety thoughout our day and peaceful sleep. Those are promises I can hold on to!

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Never Stop!

This has been a wonderful week. I’ve already shared with you that our youngest daughter and family were with us at the beginning of the week and now, we have our oldest granddaughter and her family here at the end of it. Our home has been blessed with fullness.

Our youngest granddaughter and our great granddaughter are just a few months apart in age, both are less than eighteen months old and they never stop exploring throughout the day. They are on the go and experiencing all that life has to offer them in this world called “Pappy & Besta’s House”.

At day’s end there are four tired adults crawling into bed and one toddler sleeping peacefully. The opportunity to expand their boundaries and their learning never stops. It just takes a brief interlude to recharge.

Watching these little two ones, and the 3 & 5 year old , increases my dedication to prayer. Prayers for their protection, good health and joy and prayers for their parents’ wisdom, strength and reliance on the Lord.

Never stop praying!

The Apostle Paul writes these words as he closes out this letter to the Christians in Colossae.

“Never stop praying. Be ready for anything by praying and being thankful. 3 Also pray for us. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message. I am in prison for doing this. But pray that we can continue to tell people the secret truth that God has made known about Christ. 4 Pray that I will say what is necessary to make this truth clear to everyone.

5 Be wise in the way you act with those who are not believers. Use your time in the best way you can. 6 When you talk, you should always be kind and wise. Then you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.” Colossians 4:2-6 ERV

Never stop!

It’s imperative that we fill our days with prayer. Prayer prepares us for the seen and unseen circumstances of our day. Prayer will fill our hearts with gratitude, a knowing that we aren’t in this life alone and a thankfulness that our Father walks each step of our journey with us.

I recently read an account of a man who was thankful for unseen blessings. He gave thanks for the times when a delay in traffic kept him from an auto accident; thankful for the noisy neighborhood dog that bark incessantly and kept his car from being vandelized in the drive way. He was thankful for the co-worker that missed the big meeting and he was shielded from exposure to COVID. All of these little circumstances could have been an annoyance, a reason to grumble and complain, but he chose to see the blessings in the interruption.

He was being wise in the way he acted. Using his time in the best way possible and being kind in his thoughts and actions. He was living out the instruction above without realizing it. He never stopped being thankful in prayer.

May we all never stop praying!

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Too Many Don’ts

When I grew up there were a lot of don’ts. Don’t do this and don’t do that. Some were for my own protection, i.e. don’t touch the stove, it’s hot, while other’s were rules set up by religion, i.e. we don’t go to dances or movies.

There was a whole list of them and they outnumbered the things that we could do. The emphasis was more on the negative aspects than it was on the positive.

The college I went too was very strict. As in-coming students we had a list of things we could and couldn’t do.

But this list of what was acceptable and unacceptable behavior wasn’t just limited to the religious world in the United States. I was shocked to learn that at one time in the Middle European countries it was considered shameful for Christians to drink coffee but perfectly acceptable for them to drink beer and wine.

No wonderful so many people think if you claim to be a Christian you can’t have any fun!

There are God-given instructions for our well being and then there are those that men have added on because of religious piety. The Bible has something to say about these add-ons.

“Don’t let anyone tell you what you must eat or drink. Don’t let them say that you must celebrate the New Moon festival, the Sabbath, or any other festival. 17 These things are only a shadow of what was to come. But Christ is real…20 You died with Christ. Now the forces of the universe don’t have any power over you. Why do you live as if you had to obey such rules as, 21 “Don’t handle this. Don’t taste that. Don’t touch this.”? 22 After these things are used, they are no longer good for anything. So why be bothered with the rules that humans have made up? 23 Obeying these rules may seem to be the smart thing to do. They appear to make you love God more and to be very humble and to have control over your body. But they don’t really have any power over our desires.” Colossians 2:16-23 CEV

The list of man-made don’ts cause us to focus on ourselves. We develop a type of tunnel vision. “I can’t do this, I can’t do that, I can go here or there”. We become Rule-Centered instead of being Christ-Centered. As the verses above point out, we should be looking at Christ and the reality He brings to our lives.

It was life-changing when I realized there was a different list for my life in the Bible – it is a list of “do’s”. We’ll cover some of those tomorrow. It’s time to evaluate our actions or, in some cases, lack of action to man-made rules.

Our relationship with the Lord sets us free to do good works. Let’s get started!

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Imperfect But Loved

I don’t know if you have realized it or not but the Bible is filled with imperfect people. Ordinary people just like you and I.

There are men who lie, women who are jealous, the unfaithful and disloyal. The cheats and scoundrels. The fearful and the timid. The rebellious and the braggarts. We have their stories as a guide of what not to do but also as an encouragement.

An encouragement of our Father’s unconditional, unfailing love!

I’ve been reading the story of Jacob, Abraham’s grandson. He was a manipulative, devious man. He stole his brother’s birthright, the inheritance for being the oldest child and the blessing that went with it. He deceived his father and cheated his brother.

But God blessed him and through his descendants the nation of Israel was blessed.

“The Lord was standing beside the ladder and said: ‘I am the Lord God who was worshiped by Abraham and Isaac. I will give to you and your family the land on which you are now sleeping. 14 Your descendants will spread over the earth in all directions and will become as numerous as the specks of dust. Your family will be a blessing to all people.  15 Wherever you go, I will watch over you, then later I will bring you back to this land. I won’t leave you—I will do all I have promised.’ 16 Jacob woke up suddenly and thought, ‘The Lord is in this place, and I didn’t even know it.'” Genesis 28:13-16 CEV

On the night that Jesus was arrested He was celebrating the Passover with his twelve disciples. He knew two of these men were going to betray Him that evening. Judas, a paid informant, told the religious leaders of Jesus’ location which led to his arrest, trial and crucifixion. Peter also betrayed Jesus that night, denying his association with Jesus three times during the course of the evening.

Judas was so remorseful that he killed himself. It’s very sad that he died not realizing that Jesus’ death was for the forgiveness of all sin, including his. Peter, on the othe hand, had an encounter of forgiveness with Jesus after His resurrection and went on to be instrumental in evangelizing the world with the message of God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.

“Peter and the apostles replied: We don’t obey people. We obey God. 30 You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors worshiped raised him to life 31 and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right side, so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven. 32 We are here to tell you about all this, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to everyone who obeys God.” Acts 5:29-32 CEV

Imperfect people are all God has. Some seem worse than others but we all fail to measure up. That’s why Jesus died – He brought us forgiveness and a relationship of love and peace with the Father. If we were perfect we would have no need for a Saviour, no need for unconditional love.

“All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.” Romans 3:23-24 CEV

Isn’t is good to know that no matter our failures or imperfections God chooses to love us unconditionally!

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A Plentiful Harvest

For a number of years Dave and I spent our summers in Iowa when the farmland was bursting with corn stalks. Did you know that an ear of corn has an average of 800 kernels per ear and that one corn stalk only has an average of two to three ears per stalk? Think about that. One kernel of planted corn seed produces, on average, 2400 new kernels to replace itself.

Amazing!

God has placed seed within everything He has made. All of nature is created to be productive…

The Apostle Paul taught about harvest when he wrote a letter to the Christians who were living in Corinth. He was talking to them about sowing seeds of finances to help another group of Christians who were facing a rough time. Look at what He said:

      “Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop… God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. 8-11 God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon…This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.” II Corinthians 9:6-11 MSG

Everything in our lives comes by planting seeds. This need required a seed of financial help and Paul said that it would be returned to them according to their heart’s intent. He instructed them not to give because they were coerced, instead he wanted them to give cheerfully and generously. When we give with this attitude God replenishes the seed and gives us more.

Whatever it is we sow or give should be done with a  generous attitude. We can plant any number of seeds. I particularly like to plant seeds of joy, encouragement, understanding, helpfulness, tolerance, peace, and love. As these seeds grow, I bring in a harvest and can share it generously with those around me and that brings glory to the Father.

The seeds that Jesus sowed everywhere He went were the seeds of reconciliation or renewed relationship with the Father.

      “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues, and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Matthew 9:35-38 NLT

We get to help with the harvest of reconciliation. The seeds of forgiveness and new life are sown by God’s word and we are chosen to bring in those whose lives are changed.

      “… And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!” II Corinthians 5:18-20 NLT

Farmers do not receive medals like the soldiers or the victor’s crown that athletes are awarded, their reward for diligence is the harvest. When we assist Christ in the harvest, we receive a crown and so do those who grow to relationship with Christ because of the seeds sown.

Join me in planting seeds of reconciliation and forgiveness, joy, love and understanding. The harvest is amazing!

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Made in Heaven

The last couple of days I have taken our morning thoughts from Ephesians, chapter 5. This is the Apostle Paul’s teaching on marriage. The marriage union is God’s idea; He wanted each of us to experience the joy of companionshipship and sacrifical love.

However, we find that Paul is using our earthly marriage as an example of the relationship that Christ desires to have with us.

A match made in heaven!

“In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares* for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body.” Ephesians 5:28-30 NLT (*cherishes)

Christ loves for us is deeper than we can imagine!

It’s amazing when we realize that Jesus took on our sin to give us His righteousness. He made us completely new creatures; we are given a new life because He was willing to die for us.

“But if you join yourself to the Lord, you are one with Him in spirit.” I Corinthians 6:17 NLV

Cherish is a word that means to hold dear, to protect, to cling to. Jesus cherishes us, we are His wife. This truth can and will dispel every feeling of depression and inferiority that we encounter.

We are the chosen wife of Jesus Christ.

“As the Scriptures say, ‘A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.” Verses 31-32 NLT

Marriage is a two-way street.

Jesus left His Father to come to earth and oversee all the marriage arrangements. His number one priority was to see that his new wife would be abundantly provided for in every area of her life. We, as His wife, give up any past attachments that would distract us and keep us from being completely committed to Him.

This is God’s plan concerning Christ and the church.

Jesus is our loving husband. He has done all to fill our lives with His love. He desires to provide the absolute best for us, He will overlook our short comings, and forgive us when we fail. He won’t remind us of our past but instead provides us with a glorious future. He sees us as His bride.

“Bride of the king, listen carefully to me. Forget your own people and your father’s family. 11 The king is your husband, so do what he desires…Your bride, my king, has inward beauty, and her wedding gown is woven with threads of gold. 14 Wearing the finest garments, she is brought to you, followed by her young friends, the bridesmaids. 15 Everyone is excited, as they follow you to the royal palace.”  Psalm 45:10-15 CEV

Christ came to earth to declare His love for us. He gave His all to provide us with a new and better life. His love is unconditional and eternal. Our part is to accept His proposal of new life and be joined to Him.

Truly, a match made in heaven!

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