Category: God’s Love

Posted on

Dave’s Tree

When we first moved to this campsite in mid-June, it took us a couple days to get completely set up and then we could focus on the beauty around us. One of the first things that caught Dave’s eye was this tree. It isn’t the most stately tree of the woods but it stands out from the rest.

When we look across the way, we see this tree with no fullness at its top. Only a couple of branches but those branches form the shape of a cross. Dave says this cross is like the steeple of God’s wooded cathedral. To us, it is a reminder that no matter where we are, God is present and His love is outpoured everywhere on earth.

There’s a song we used to sing at Cowboy Cathedral years ago when we ministered at youth rodeos and ranches across Arizona. It was written in the 1940’s. It goes something like this:

Oh, the place where I worship is the wide open spaces
Built by the hand of the Lord
Where the trees of the forrest are like pipes of an organ
And the breeze plays an amen choir.

All the stars are the candles and they light up the mountains
Mountains are altars of God
Oh, the place where I worship is the wide open spaces
Built by the hand of the Lord.

This tree has become a church to us. As we sit and watch the sunrise break over the tree line or see the clouds rolling in, we feel that we are in the place that God has called us too. We are here for a purpose. We enjoy the beauty that God has created but we are also here to share God’s love with those around us.

“ We have only one God, and he is the Father. He created everything, and we live for him. Jesus Christ is our only Lord. Everything was made by him, and by him life was given to us.” I Corinthians 8:6 CEV

God has given life, a new and abundant life. His desire is that people everywhere experience His love and forgiveness. You may be country folk who have lived rurally like we have for years or you may be city dwellers who feel more comfortable with bustling traffic and high rise buildings but no matter your surroundings the Father is there reaching out to touch you with His love.

“Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better. 11 It doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. 12 God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient.” Colossians 3:10-12 CEV

Social standing, nationality, religious or not doesn’t make a difference. The life changing fact is that God loves us and has chosen us, we are special to him.

You may not have a tree like Dave’s but if you look around I know you will find something special that God has placed within your view to remind you of His love and watchful care.

We all have a place where we can worship the Father who loves us and gives us life!

Posted on

Healing A Broken Heart

Right now, I have three people I love dearly who are dealing with broken hearts! In the natural, we can bring comfort and love but we can’t heal the hurt. Only God can do that!

As I was praying for each of them this morning, I felt a bit helpless. “Lord, I want to do more but don’t know what more I can do”. The answer came clear – keep praying, keep loving and let Me love them through you.

Bringing God into the situation is never futile; it’s never a waste of time. God’s love is the great healer.

This morning, my words are few because the best thing I can do for you if you are broken hearted is bring you God’s word.

“I will always praise the Lord.
2 With all my heart,
    I will praise the Lord.
    Let all who are helpless,
    listen and be glad.
3 Honor the Lord with me!
    Celebrate his great name.

4 I asked the Lord for help,
    and he saved me
    from all my fears.
5 Keep your eyes on the Lord!
You will shine like the sun
    and never blush with shame.
6 I was a nobody, but I prayed,
    and the Lord saved me
    from all my troubles.

7 If you honor the Lord,
    his angel will protect you.
8 Discover for yourself
    that the Lord is kind.
    Come to him for protection,
    and you will be glad.

9 Honor the Lord!
    You are his special people.
    No one who honors the Lord
    will ever be in need.
10 Young lions[a] may go hungry
    or even starve,
but if you trust the Lord,
    you will never miss out
    on anything good.

11 Come, my children, listen
    as I teach you
    to respect the Lord.
12 Do you want to live
    and enjoy a long life?
13 Then don’t say cruel things
    and don’t tell lies.
14     Do good instead of evil
    and try to live at peace.

15 If you obey the Lord,
he will watch over you
    and answer your prayers.
16 But God despises evil people,
    and he will wipe them all
from the earth,
    till they are forgotten.
17 When his people pray for help,
    he listens and rescues them
    from their troubles.
18 The Lord is there to rescue
all who are discouraged
    and have given up hope.” Psalm 34:1-18 CEV

If you are discouraged, hopeless and broken hearted the Lord is here to help! Give Him your heart, He’ll heal it!

Posted on

Change is Inevitable!

Change Is Inevitable!

Two months, just two months ago we came to the mountains.

There have been so many changes – changes in the beauty of nature, changes in our daily routine and mostly changes in our hearts.

When we first came to the mountain on June 4, the pasture grasses were yellow green from lack of water. The under growth was crunchy and dry. The fishing was poor, but I don’t know the reason for that. The rules of the campground were dictated by a Level 2 Red Fire alert so there were no fires, except for the ones of a propane stove.

We arrived needing rest. Our daily routine consisted of taking our coffee under the awning, walking through the campground several times a day but mostly we sat and rested, and we were content with that.  No TV, no internet and very little phone or text messaging.  We read, we talked, we prayed.

Our interaction with other campers was limited to a polite “hello” and “where do you come from”.

But two months have gone by, and we have changed and so have our surroundings.

Yesterday was day number thirty-two of rain. The rains began to lightly fall on July 1. They have continued to increase in the amount of daily rainfall. A normal, good shower would last an hour – soaking in and cooling the temperature but yesterday it was an all-day rain.

Oh, what a refreshing!

As we talk with campers who are heading home, they are sad to leave. “We can’t wait to come back. It’s beautiful here. We love the rain, the meadow grasses, the wildflowers, the mushrooms, the wildlife”. That’s not the reaction of one or two but it’s the sentiment of most.

“The land that you will get is not like the land of Egypt that you came from. In Egypt you planted your seeds and used your feet to pump water from the canals to water your fields like a vegetable garden. 11 But the land that you will soon get is not like that. In Israel there are mountains and valleys, and the land gets its water from the rain that falls from the sky. 12 The Lord your God cares for that land. The Lord your God watches over it, from the beginning to the end of the year.

13 “The Lord says, ‘You must listen carefully to the commands I give you today: You must love the Lord your God, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul. If you do that, 14 I will send rain for your land at the right time. I will send the autumn rain and the spring rain. Then you can gather your grain, your new wine, and your oil.” Deuteronomy 11:10-14 ERV

Not only has the land received rain, but our hearts have also been moistened with love and compassion. People we didn’t know two months ago have become friends that we know we will share a connection with for years to come.

Campers that we only see for a few days and are gone have filled us with meaningful conversation and opportunities for prayer.

Two months.  Two months of change. God appointed change!

When we open the doors of our heart, when we follow the Father’s lead, He sends “rain”, the rain of His love and compassion, and we go from dry to refreshed.

This refreshing doesn’t just come from being in the mountains and it isn’t exclusively for us. Not in the slightest! The Lord wants to shower all of our lives with His goodness.

The change He brings is wonderful and inevitable!

Posted on

It Never Gets Old

Sometimes we take things for granted. They become mundane or expected. Things lose their ability to inspire and/or be appreciated.

Several years ago I damaged my back and lived in constant pain for over two years. Since that time I have never taken a pain-free day for granted. It is something I am always grateful for.

I had a friend who was once homeless. Devastating circumstances had them on the streets with no place to call home. She was young and felt completely alone. She told me that sleeping in her car night after night brought on a depression she thought she would never be able to break. Then a kind and loving person took her in and gave her a place to stay. She says she remembers that first long, hot shower – it was life affirming. She has never taken living in a home, with clean sheets and warm water for granted again.

Maybe you’ve had experiences like these or something similar. These memories are triggers of joy – not for the circumstance but for the deliverance from them.

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

Our Father is the giver of every good gift!

We should be living life expectantly; never taking these gifts for granted. Look for the joy in each day, the opportunity to give and to share what the Lord has blessed us with.

Each time I see a sunset like I did last night or watch the sunrise over the pines, my heart is filled with wonder and awe that the God who paints the sky is my Father and He fills my life with blessings.

That truth, dear friend, never gets old!

Posted on

Looking for Perfect

The last few days Dave and I have spent a lot of time talking about how much we enjoy being here in the mountains, not just any mountains, these mountains and this place, this place called Big Lake.

When we started planning our summer, months back, the first place we put on our list was this campground. It holds special memories for both of us. My folks came here over 50 years ago. It was one of Dad’s favorite places to come and although the high altitude was hard on Mom she loved coming here too.

After Dave and I were married, Dad brought Dave up here for some special days when just the two of them would fish together. The love of fishing is something the two of them shared. It was their bond.

And then as our family grew, Mom and Dad brought our oldest daughter and son here as well. They weren’t much more than toddlers. Out of diapers and able to climb over the boulders they spent time at this mountain lake. Our hearts are rooted here and we love it.

Each week we have many of the campers tell us their stories of coming here, some for more than 40 years. They are similar to ours – brought here as chidren by their parents and what a great time it was and now they are bringing their children and grandchildren to enjoy this place. What a blessing!

We spent most of the afternoon visiting with a new friend and fellow camp host yesterday. Her experiences in this area are very similar as well. The more we talked, we agreed that the Lord had brought us to this place and His ways are perfect.

“ God makes everything happen at the right time. Yet none of us can ever fully understand all he has done, and he puts questions in our minds about the past and the future. 12 I know the best thing we can do is to always enjoy life, 13 because God’s gift to us is the happiness we get from our food and drink and from the work we do.” Ecclesiastes 3:11-13 CEV

Many people look for perfect. The perfect job, home, mate…and end up disappointed. If we were only looking at external factors we would miss the perfect that God has placed before us. Others have a newer, bigger, better RV than ours but when we look at where the Lord has called us we find perfection and He never disappoints.

“In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his holy people—people who could stand before him without any fault. 5 And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it. 6 And this brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely. He gave us that grace in Christ, the one he loves. 7 In Christ we are made free by his blood sacrifice. We have forgiveness of sins because of God’s rich grace.” Ephesians 1:4-7 ERV

He has placed a calling, a destiny, within each one of us. His plan is for our good.

When we look for perfect we will always find it in Jesus! We are loved and chosen by Almighty God and there is nothing more perfect than that!

Posted on

Heart & Soul

How many of you were like me and went to summer camp in the mountains? Ours was a church camp in the pine woods of Prescott, Arizona, Prescott Pines.

There are many things I remember fondly about Prescott Pines. The cabins, mess hall, swimming pool…the ball field, the big A-framed recreation hall, mail call. Learning to play Heart & Soul on the rec hall piano, the camaraderie…

The chapel services and the chalet-style prayer chapel where we could go to be alone and pray. Year after year, it was something I looked forward to. It was the place that I felt closest to the Lord in the early years of my life.

Last night my heart was filled with those memories as I sat under the pines with Dave. Looking up, as darkness fell, the trees began to make their silhouette against the night sky, the first stars glistened like diamonds, the air was fresh and clear and I could imagine the Lord smiling as we enjoyed all He had created.

I began to ask the question “Who made…

  • the stars to shine
  • the moon to reflect the sun
  • the planets to fill the heavens
  • the oceans ebb and flow
  • the seasons to change

Of course I knew the answer. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth!

“In the past God spoke to our people through the prophets. He spoke to them many times and in many different ways. 2 And now in these last days, God has spoken to us again through his Son. He made the whole world through his Son. And he has chosen his Son to have all things. 3 The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God’s nature, and he holds everything together by his powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3 ERV

Our great God, Almighty God and Heavenly Father, created this world with His Son and now it is Jesus who holds it all together through His powerful words. The One who made all that we see and enjoy is the same Jesus who made us clean by paying the penalty for our sins!

“God—the one who made all things and for whose glory all things exist—wanted many people to be his children and share his glory. So he did what he needed to do. He made perfect the one who leads those people to salvation. He made Jesus a perfect Savior through his suffering. 11 Jesus, the one who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.” Hebrrews 2:10-11 ERV

Jesus, who was there at creation; Jesus, who gave His life for me, is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. His love for us is so great, so amazing!

Yes, those few summers at camp made a lasting impact because they gave me an awareness of God’s greatness and it was there I fell in love with Him, heart and soul!

Posted on

A Special Gift

Every morning I thank the Lord for the opportunity He has given me to share words of encouragement with you. It’s what I love to do!

This is the 4th anniversary of Kristi’s Morning Devotional and it has been such a joy to lay my fingers on the keyboard and write what the Father has put on my heart. Who knew there was a lesson to be learned from mushrooms?

I appreciate the comments you share through email and on Facebook. Knowing that the Holy Spirit is encouraging you touches my heart. If these brief morning thoughts strengthen you throughout your day, if they remind you that you are never alone and if they help direct you in the decisions you are facing then I am thrilled.

Each day the Lord gives us is a special gift. Each morning is a page waiting to be filled with His goodness and grace. Each evening is an opportunity to reflect on the His love and mercy. Each hour is an opportunity to draw on His strength and direction.

“This day belongs to the Lord! Let’s celebrate and be glad today.” Psalm 118:24 CEV

I am committed to continue writing as long as the Lord gives me the words to pen. I want the Father to be glorified through each posting. He, alone, is worthy of all praise and adoration.

Last night I had a dream that I was teaching at a church gathering. The theme of the message was “A Deeper Relationship”. Never do I want to present religious ideas or manmade doctrines. My goal and desire is for all who read my writings or hear my words to know that our heavenly Father is a father who desires relationship.

One of our children once told Dave and I “I see now how much you guys gave up, how much you sacrificed for us as we were growing up. I want you to know how much I appreciate it all. I love you”.

As I grow in relationship with the Father each day I appreciate His love so much more. I want that for each and everyone of you. And I hope that you desire that as well; for yourselves, your friends and family.

When Jesus sent His disciples out to preach the message of the life changing power of God, He told them this:

“Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: …7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!” Matthew 10:5-8 NLT

We have been given the same instruction. Freely give. The life giving message of God’s love is a gift to be freely given. It is my hope that as you receive from this daily blog that you will share it with others.

In the past four years, the blog has been read nearly 50,000 times. That humbles me. But my hope is that many more will read it and come to know the unconditional, amazing love and joy that come from being in relationship with the Father.

Will you help me spread this good news? Please share my blog with your friends and let’s see God’s word reach thousands more. There is no greater gift than the gift of God’s love.

Posted on

Don’t Wake Up Grumpy!

Have you heard that old line? “Did you wake up grumpy?”  Response: “No, I let him sleep.”

Well, yesterday I had a phone conversation with a man named Alvin who asked me where I was. When I explained to him that I was in the mountains and the view I see each morning he laughed and said, “No wonder you sound happy”.

It was a business call so we didn’t spend too much time talking about personal things, but he commented that each morning when he looks into the mirror he reminds himself that it will be a good day because he knows God loves him and that makes everything good.

At the end of the day, I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Mendoza.  He came to camp with his grandsons the end of last week.  He wanted to extend their camping trip at least another three nights.  He had a huge smile on his face – he’s always smiling – as he told us what a good time they were having.

But I know a little of their backstory. Shortly after they arrived and had gotten their tent set up, Mr. Mendoza’s truck broke down. It wasn’t drivable. It was the weekend. How would he get someone to tow him to town to get it repaired? He didn’t seem concerned.

He and his grandsons spent the weekend walking back and forth to the lake to go fishing. The grandsons were always smiling, grandpa was always smiling. This was not spoiling their time together. Monday, a tow truck came out to the campground and picked up he and his rig. Two of the boys stayed at the camp to fish. The truck repair cost him several hundred dollars. He was still smiling.

And now he was extending his trip because as he said “I wanted to get my grandsons out of our town. There is nothing for them to do there. I wanted them to have some fun and experience new things like I did with my father.”  The boys were excited because they were catching fish and having fun.

Remember we talked about focus yesterday. Well, he was focused on the experience with his grandsons and not on the problems with his truck.

So, this morning as I sat down in my chair and took my first sip of coffee my thoughts were a little prayer. “Thank you, Father that I didn’t wake up grumpy. Thank you, for your love and filling me with Your joy”.

“You have shown me the path to life, and you make me glad by being near to me. Sitting at your right side, I will always be joyful.” Psalm 16:11 CEV

Did you wake up grumpy?

Posted on

Talking to the Kids

How many of us love talking to our kids?

Everything else in our day comes to a stand still when we see their number on caller id or their faces pop up on Facetime. A friend and I were exchanging emails the last week or so and I told her that the only thing I was having a hard time with in our summer RV adventure was the inconsistency of conversation with the kids. She agreed. There are so many suggestions on how to successfully full-time RV but none of them really deal with the separation from family.

Before we left home for the summer, I would have Facetime conversations nearly everyday with our youngest daughter and get to see our littlest grandchildren. They might not say much but there would be lots of smiles, “I love you’s”, waving and throwing kisses. They grow up so fast. She and I would get to talk – talk about everything.

And it was nothing for our oldest daughter just call to say hi and tell me about her busy schedule or send me a picture of her granddaughter, our great grand. We talk about camping trips, what they had done for the weekend, just a lot of staying in touch.

Our son always finds time to call when he is headed home after a forty-eight hour shift at the firehouse. He and his dad can talk on and on about boats and fishing and refurbishing. There isn’t a subject they don’t enjoy exchanging ideas on.

It means so much that they like to call – we love it!

Yesterday, all three of them called. A perfect day! One that fills a parents’ heart with love and joy!

This morning, I sat here still enjoying hearing their voices and then I thought I’m sure our heavenly Father feels the same way when we call. He’s always ready to share His heart.

“Ask me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here.” Jeremiah 33:3 TLB

Talking to the Father shouldn’t always be a 9-1-1 call. We don’t need to be in a crisis situation to pray. No, if we follow the example of Jesus we will be talking to the Father morning, noon and night. It’s a conversation of loving exchange.

“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.” Matthew 14:23 NKJV

The Father loves to talk with us and when He sees that we are reaching out to Him, He drops everything to take our call because we are His kids and He loves us. Maybe some are resistant to prayer because they think they might get scolded for one mistake or another. Our Father will correct us when needed but always with a heart of love. He loves to give!

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven.” Ephesians 1:3 ERV

Take time to talk with the Father today – He loves talking to His kids.

Posted on

It’s A New Day

For the past two weeks, you know, Dave and I have been under the U.S. Forest Service evacuation order for the Apache Sitgreaves region. At noon yesterday we were granted permission to return to our campground at Big Lake, as were all the other camp hosts in our region.

I had no idea that my reaction would be so strong. The campground that has been our temporary location was very nice and we loved the wildlife and the camaraderie we experienced with the other hosts but as Dave pulled our 5th wheel up the road to our campground, Rainbow, my heart filled with joy. We were home!

I could only imagine how some of you have felt living in areas that are effected by tornados and hurricanes. Living in the western United States all of my life I have never experienced that kind of devastation or threat of destruction.

“Your way is perfect, Lord, and your word is correct. You are a shield for those who run to you for help.” Psalm 18:30 CEV

Our afternoon was filled with all the little chores of settling in; connecting to power, water, sewer, making sure we were level, cleaning inside, putting things back in place, setting up the awning, putting out chairs and grill.

Happy to be home.

This beautiful sunrise greeted us yesterday morning, it was as if the Lord was saying, “today is a good day”. When we took one of our granddaughter’s camping with us this last winter she and I would walk out side at sunrise and say “Good Morning Sun”. As a four-year-old, it’s something she remembers as a special time.

Today we prepare for the return of campers. A few will come in today with many more coming over the weekend. We will be so glad to hear the sounds of laughter in the campground. Families enjoying each other away from the distractions of the city. Families making special memories like Kristine and I have shared, maybe they’ll even see the sunrise together.

The Lord gave blessings to the Israelites right before they entered the Promised Land. Since we have a relationship with God, the Father, those promises are also our inheritance.

“If you will obey the Lord your God, all these blessings will come to you and be yours: 3 “He will bless you in the city and in the field. 4 He will bless you and give you many children. He will bless your land and give you good crops. He will bless your animals and let them have many babies. He will bless you with calves and lambs. 5 He will bless your baskets and pans and fill them with food. 6 He will bless you at all times in everything you do.” Deuteronomy 28:2-6 ERV

When this summer started we really had no idea of what the Lord was going to do in our lives. We just wanted to be obedient to His leading. This is beyond anything we expected.

Look for the Lord’s leading and follow it! Today is a new day, a day filled with blessing. Good Morning “Son”!

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress