Category: Character

Posted on

Loud & Boisterous

Yesterday was so busy that I almost forgot to look for the Lord’s blessings, that is until this big guy came bouncing across the prairie grass on the side of our RV.

I don’t normally take much interest in the crows, they’re just not an attractive or interesting bird but he caught my attention. He was headed for the mouth of the underground spring at the back of our campsite.

He wasn’t cautious at all. The little birds that come to drink are timid and will light on a branch for only a few seconds, look around and take off again but not him. He strolls in boldly knowing that all others will clear out when he arrives.

Oh my, he’s noisy but he was created by God for a purpose!

This is what Wikipedia says about the crow: “Crows appear to show appreciation to humans by presenting them with gifts.”.

Nothing appears to be said about crows in the Bible but they are very much akin to the raven who is spoken of.

My favorite story involving ravens is found in I Kings 17. Elijah, the prophet, had just told King Ahab that the Lord was going to withhold rain for the next several years. It would only rain again when Elijah said. After that proclamation, the Lord told Elijah to head to a ravine where there was water.

Enter the raven…

“Then the Lord said to Elijah, 3 “Leave this place and go east. Hide near Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan River. 4 You can get your water from that stream, and I have commanded ravens to bring food to you there.” 5 So Elijah did what the Lord told him to do. He went to live near Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan River. 6 Ravens brought Elijah food every morning and every evening, and he drank water from the stream.” I King 17:2-6 ERV

I wonder what kind of food they brought him.

The crows in our campground are always finding morsels and tidbits of food in the trash dumpsters. I don’t think I would be too open to be partaking of the food they would bring. However, if the Lord said he sent them, I probably wouldn’t argue.

My takeaway from watching this feathered friend was this. The Lord is willing to use anyone who makes themselves available. It’s not just those who are petite, beautiful (brightly colored), and sing with a sweet melodious voice. He will also use those who are big, unattractive, loud and boisterous.

If I had to give human characteristics to the crow/raven I would say that the Apostle Peter would be a crow – loud, impetuous, foot-in-mouth kind of guy and the Apostle John would be more like the meadowlark with a sweet song and attractive appearance.

The Father uses all kinds of people and birds. Let’s learn to truly appreciate all those God brings into our lives.

Posted on

I Love My Job

Campers have started arriving and I truly enjoy hearing the voices of small children giggling throughout the campground.

Moms and Dads are bringing their kids to the same place they came as children with their parents. Fisherman are leaving the campground at “0-dark30” to find that special place on the shoreline or to be the first to launch their boats. Each one in pursuit of that record rainbow or cutthroat trout.

Folks are walking their dogs and exploring nature. There are so many sites to see!

Dave and I pray for each of them – we pray for safety and protection, for enjoyment and relaxation. This year we are facing another Summer where Winter snowpack and Spring rains were sparse, so we are praying against fires and for good rains to moisten the ground and add water to the lakes.

This morning I found these verses in my Bible reading. I know I’ve read them before but this morning they stood out and made an impact.

“ We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. 3  Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, “The people who insulted you also insulted me.” 4  And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope. 5 God is the one who makes us patient and cheerful. I pray that he will help you live at peace with each other, as you follow Christ. 6 Then all of you together will praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:2-6 CEV

Patient, cheerful, doing good – that shall be my motto for the summer. In all I do, I want to follow Christ and give God praise.

The Lord has us all in different places, touching different lives. Let’s look for opportunities to be an example of His love in all we do!

Posted on

Much Fruit

When our oldest children were very little, I received a peach tree for a present. Dave planted it in the backyard. We took very good care of it and the next year it produced 8 large peaches. The following year our harvested crop was much larger in number, but the fruit was smaller, almost half the size of the year before.

The peaches from both years were sweet and flavorful. I wish I could tell you about the harvest from the third year, but we moved from that home and I’m not sure what became of the tree and the fruit.

This was the memory that came back this morning as I was reading these verses.

“Stay joined together with me, and follow my teachings. If you do this, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be given to you. 8 Show that you are my followers by producing much fruit. This will bring honor to my Father.” John 15:7-9 ERV

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has chosen me to bring good news to poor people. He has sent me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent me to tell those who are being held and those in prison that they can go free. 2 He has sent me to tell about the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day our God will bring punishment. He has sent me to comfort all who are filled with sorrow. 3 To those who have sorrow in Zion I will give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I will give them the oil of joy instead of sorrow, and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of no hope. Then they will be called oaks that are right with God, planted by the Lord, that He may be honored.” Isaiah 61:1-3 NLV

Followers producing much fruit – oaks planted by God and honoring Him.

Some years our lives may be like my peach tree and produce a bountiful harvest, other years we may produce larger fruit but not the quantity.

The word honor that is used in both verses, the one in John and the one in Isaiah, can also be translated glorified. I looked that word up and found this definition: “acknowledge and reveal the majesty and splendor of (God) by one’s actions”.

“But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:22-23 NLV

The fruit that comes from the Holy Spirit definitely acknowledges the majesty of our Father.

We used to sing a praise chorus that said this, “In my life Lord be glorified, be glorified, be glorified. In my life Lord be glorified today”.

Maybe your life is just starting to produce blossoms, no fruit yet, but beautiful. Perhaps your life is a tree with many smaller fruits, you are making an impact of nourishing many lives. Or your tree may have larger fruit, which less people will be able to enjoy but they will be filled and nourished.

All in all, no matter the stage of fruit production our actions should bring the Father honor.

Posted on

Deep Roots

For the past week we have been getting things ready for campers. They will begin arriving tomorrow. It has been a labor of love.

We are looking forward to a wonderful summer.

One of the biggest surprises we found when we arrived was the number of trees that had fallen during the winter. One in particular stands out. It is a massive ponderosa pine. I have no idea how old it is or how much it weighs but I can imagine the ground must have shaken when it fell.

Dave drove me over to see it and I was intrigued by the root base that had been up earthed. It just seemed a tree of that size would have had larger roots.

“good people are like trees with deep roots. ” Proverbs 12:12b CEV

Have you ever tried to uproot a tree? I did. We had been doing quite a bit of landscaping in the back yard of our home in southern Arizona. There were little mesquite shoots coming up. They were easy to remove because their trunks were small and their roots were shallow.

We left one, close to the back wall. It was no bigger around than my little finger. It was about the size of a pencil. We decided if it survived it would be a good shade tree. A year later it was flourishing. Five years later there were several strong branches and it reached 20-30 feet high and provided amazing shade. It would have been very difficult to remove it then.

“The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once. 21 But they don’t have deep roots, and they don’t last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.” Matthew 13:20-21 CEV

When we are young Christians it’s easy to be unearthed. The Apostle Paul gave us good instruction for continuing to grow strong in the Lord.

“You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. 7 Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.” Colossians 2:6-7 CEV

Let’s plant our roots in Christ!

Posted on

It Takes Effort

This has been a very challenging morning…let me tell you a story.

The year is 1988, the place is Glendale, AZ. I had just been hired as the administrative assistant to the Dean of Students at a local community college. I was in charge of bringing the Student Handbook up to date and inputting all the information into the new computer program.

In our office was an older woman, thinking about it, she was probably the age I am now. She had worked for the community college for many years. She had no computer skills and so she had been transferred to our department where she could answer phones and have some student interaction.

On rare occasions she would need to log on to the computer and input some travel information. It was obvious that she dreaded this, and her frustration and temper would both rise.

One of the students found a poster, which they purchased and hung in our office, right next to her desk. “Hit Any Key”! She got a good chuckle out of that, we all did. This morning I felt like that sweet lady and the duck on the poster.

I have been battling this “wonderful piece of technology” in my lap for an hour and a half. I have tried to maintain a godly attitude and I have certainly been praying without ceasing. When I stopped to get my second cup of coffee these words came to mind, “study to be approved”.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” II Timothy 2:15 KJV

“Do your best to know that God is pleased with you. Be as a workman who has nothing to be ashamed of. Teach the words of truth in the right way.” II Timothy 2:15 NLV

For the last 30+ years my daily challenge is to spend more time focused on God’s word than on anything else. I don’t mean I sit and read the Bible for hours at a time and ignore the other daily responsibilities. No, I do the regular and the routine but in all that I do I want to see God’s word at work. I want to know my life and my attitudes are being molded by His word.

We should certainly apply as much effort to our spiritual growth as we do to improving our skill sets for work and recreation. It takes time to become proficient in computer skills, leather working, baking, driving a car, photography, flying a plane…

May I encourage you again to look for God in everything. Be teachable. Apply His word to every situation. Yes, it takes effort but being God-minded will keep you from picking up a sledgehammer and striking out.

Posted on

People I Don’t Know

I was reflecting on my Mother’s Day. It was a good day but not typical. Communication with my kids and grandkids came in the electronic form, not the oh-so-special face to face hugs and kisses kind.

There were attempted phone calls but without a strong signal the calls dropped but the attempt was made and that warmed my heart. One call with a daughter was successful and it was the nice end to the day.

We worked in the morning, there’s quite a bit to do before we welcome campers at the end of the week. Mid-afternoon we enjoyed a nice lunch in town with three friends. And then this morning as I sat here thinking of that time of fellowship I began to wonder about our waitress.

Was she a working mom? How was it that she was scheduled to work this day and not be with family? Were we kind and compassionate to her? I hope we made her day more pleasant. She wasn’t able to be waited on, instead she served a room full of people.

“Finally, all of you should agree and have concern and love for each other. You should also be kind and humble. 9 Don’t be hateful and insult people just because they are hateful and insult you. Instead, treat everyone with kindness. You are God’s chosen ones, and he will bless you. ” I Peter 3:8-9 CEV

Treat everyone with kindness.

How often do we fall back on social media to help us make connections? We like or love a post or a photo. We say congratulations to engagements or births or weddings. All to people we don’t really know.

But our calling of kindness and compassion is greater than that. We are to see people the way the Father sees them. Remember Zacchaeus? He climbed a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. Jesus was surrounded by a crowd as He walked the streets that day. So many were wanting to see the Teacher, the Miracle Worker. Zacchaeus wanted to see Him too.

“Jesus was heading his way, and Zacchaeus wanted to see what he was like.” Luke 19:3 CEV

Jesus noticed him. He stopped. Jesus spoke to Him. Zacchaeus’ life was changed.

“Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today you and your family have been saved, because you are a true son of Abraham. 10  The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.” Luke 19:9-10 CEV

Zacchaeus was a hard man to love; he was a tax collector and a cheat. Jesus was drawn to him, He looked for him and he was saved.

We were talking at lunch about people with lots of tattoos. One of our friends has many, each one tells a part of her story, her struggle and her victory. She said how much she enjoys sharing when someone asks her about why she got them. People may be judgmental at first but when they know the underlining story, they soften and meet a wonderful woman. They see the lady that Jesus loves!

Our world is filled with people who want to be seen. Meet them with a heart of compassion. You never know, you may end up liking people you don’t know.

Posted on

A Loving Mother

Those of you who have been following my blog for any length of time know I had a loving relationship with my mom. This is my first Mother’s Day without her.

She died the end of May last year. I know she is in heaven, and I will see her again and we will have all of eternity to share the Father’s love.

When I think of the things that made her so special I feel like I am compiling a list of the Proverbs 31 woman. Mom learned to sew before I was born and I still have some of the little dresses she made for me and my daughters. She learned to knit when I was in grade school and I have sweaters and ponchos tucked away too.

Mom was a wonderful cook and baker. Everyone I knew growing up wanted an invitation to our house for dinner. She also was an excellent baker – there were no store-bought cookies or cakes – every school party she made and decorated dozens and dozens of treats.

My Dad was out-of-town for long periods of time; work kept him away. She kept the household accounts and maintained discipline for myself and my two siblings. She was an economist and could make a penny stretch.

She became one of my best friends. In High School, we had our differences but I definitely felt a closeness with her that my other friends didn’t have with their mothers. When I married and had children she filled the role of Grama whole-heartedly.

Mom always tried to help her friends and neighbors. When anyone came to the house to do work or make a delivery she didn’t let them leave without hearing about Jesus.

In her final years she look forward to going to heaven. She told me numerous times, “if I’m gone in the morning, tell them not to cry. Have a party because I am where I want to be”.

I offer this tribute this morning to all those Moms who are with us and those who we no longer are able to touch with our hands.

“Her children say good things about her.
    Her husband brags about her and says,
29 “There are many good women,
    but you are the best.”
30 Grace and beauty can fool you,
    but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised.
31 Give her the reward she deserves.
    Praise her in public for what she has done.” Proverbs 31:28-31 ERV

Mothers, grandmothers, women with mother’s hearts we have a special place of influence that no one else can occupy. May we shape lives with the love of Jesus!

Posted on

Cleaning Toilets

Yesterday I had a friend email me after reading the blog about my refrigerator. She said she would be praying everything got taken care of today. That meant a lot and then she reminded me of a story from many years ago.

I was part of our church’s ministry team and had recently started a morning Bible Study for our women. Those teachings were very similar to the ones I share with you each morning. This particular morning, I was sharing that if we keep our hearts and our spiritual ears open the Lord will minister to us any time or any place.

Earlier in that week, while I had been doing my regular housecleaning, the Holy Spirit prompted me to keep my attitude pure in all that I did. See if you can relate. We had a large ranch-style home, three children (12, 10, 6mos), a dog, horses, and I worked full time. I was grumbling as I was cleaning toilets.

The verse that came to mind, I believe, was this:

“And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17 AMPC

After Bible Study was over that morning one of the ladies, a new Christian and a new bride, came up to talk with me. She said she had never thought of me having to do all the things that wives and mothers do. Her next words made me chuckle, she said she just thought I sat home all day, reading my Bible and praying. She didn’t think that I would have to do the normal stuff.

That’s when I realized how important it is to share the way the Lord works in our everyday lives.

Jesus never came to separate Himself from us, He came to join us. He came to bring His power and provision to the mundane. He came to add his “super” to our “natural”.

“Follow my example: Even the Son of Man did not come for people to serve him. He came to serve others and to give his life to save many people.” Mark 10:45 ERV

Christ came to serve others, to serve us. Yes, He got tired. Who else could fall asleep during a storm at sea? But His heart was always centered on serving. He knew that whatever He did should bring honor and glory to the Father.

Cleaning toilets, rocking a baby, wiping up spilled cereal, folding laundry, washing dirty faces, kissing little faces good night. Mowing the yard, spraying weeds, washing the car, board meetings, shoveling snow, changing the oil in the car.

Waiting for a new refrigerator.

Whatever we do in word or deed, do it all with an attitude of giving thanks to God!

Posted on

Sitting in the Sun

Yesterday afternoon Dave and I took some time to go to the swimming pool. It was a beautiful afternoon; the sun was shining; the air was clear and the water was cool.

It was so relaxing just to sit there and soak in the warmth. I love the warmth – it’s comforting.

I remember the days when we lived in the Northwest. Up to that point in time I had never lived anywhere other than the Southwest. The cloudy, gray days of the Pacific Northwest far outweighed the days of sunshine. It was hard to adjust to. I must say I like the sunshine better than the clouds.

So, this morning those were the thoughts going through my mind. The warmer weather and the joy of living where we do brought a smile to my face. But it also brought some self-reflection.

“The Scriptures say, “God commanded light to shine in the dark.” Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ. 7 We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us.” II Corinthians 4:6-7 CEV

Our Father has placed His “son-light” within us. He desires for us to bring the warmth of His love to those around us.

“You are the light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, 15  and no one lights a lamp and puts it under a clay pot. Instead, it is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15 CEV

There was a song we sang in Sunday School when I was a little girl, “Jesus Wants Me for a Son Beam”. It goes something like this:

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,
To shine for Him each day;
In every way try to please Him,
At home, at school, at play.
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam;
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
I’ll be a sunbeam for Him.

The simplicity of that message is the truth of the Bible.

“Father, each day I want to share the light of your love with the world”.

Posted on

Kindness & Peace

We just returned from a week’s vacation visiting our son and his girlfriend. We had a wonderful time; most of it was spent visiting and enjoying one another’s company. COVID had kept us apart for over two years.

Sunday we visited Alcatraz. When we were on the ferry, returning to the pier, I heard a young child say, “Today was a good day. Thank you, Mom, for the best day ever”. I had to turn around and see this kid’s face. He had a smile from ear to ear, so much kindness and gratitude from someone so young. He was only about 6 or 7. It warmed my heart.

We can always use more kindness and peace.

It would mean a great deal if people treated each other nicer, right? I think we can get a hearty amen to having less drama in our lives. What can we do to see that we are being used to bring these two elements into the lives of those around us?

“This letter is to all of you in Rome. God loves you and has chosen you to be his very own people. I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!” Romans 1:7 CEV

We can begin by praying for God to bless those we know with kindness and peace and then we can follow through with being kind. Kind to the other drivers on the roads, to the salesclerks and waiters. To receptionists and executives. To the person sitting at the next desk or our biggest competitor. To our kids and our spouses.

We are all naturally drawn to people who are kind, people who live drama-free lives. A genuine expression of kindness or compassion can be life changing.

The Apostle Paul also said this:

“God has been kind to you. He has been very patient, waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don’t understand that God is kind to you so that you will decide to change your lives.” Romans 2:4 ERV

God’s goodness is what brings people to Him. When we emulate God’s character, we are being used to bring others to Christ. We must never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit working through us.

I once read a statement similar to this: “If we preach less on sin and moral failure and more on the love of God and his goodness, we will see less sin and moral failure”.

“God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.” Galatians 5:22-23 CEV

Today I’m praying that God’s goodness and peace will overflow in our lives!

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress