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A Good Thing

For as long as I can remember the focus of November has been thankfulness.

For the last thirty days I have made gratitude the central theme of my morning writings. I will continue to do so throughout the rest of this month. Each day seems to bring little, and some not so little, changes to our life’s plans that could cause us to grumble and complain.

So, let’s lift our sights and look for all the good things.

“It is good to praise the Lord. God Most High, it is good to praise your name. 2 It is good to sing about your love in the morning and about your faithfulness at night.” Psalm 92:1-2 ERV

It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord!

Here’s a short list of things to be thankful for, I’m sure you can think of many more.

  1. Thank the Father for his love and protection.
  2. If you have a job, be thankful.
  3. If you drive safely to work and home each day, be thankful.
  4. If your children arrive home from school each day, be thankful.
  5. If you have enough money in your purse for groceries, be thankful.
  6. If your house is warm and your clothes are adequate, be thankful!

“Tell the Lord how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful…5 When I was really hurting, I prayed to the Lord. He answered my prayer, and took my worries away. 6 The Lord is on my side, and I am not afraid of what others can do to me. 7 With the Lord on my side, I will defeat all of my hateful enemies. 8 It is better to trust the Lord for protection than to trust anyone else” Psalm 118:1-8 CEV

Outside of my relationship with the Lord, the best “good thing” in my life is the friendships I have been blessed with. Family and those who should be family. Relationships require work. There are challenges – opportunities to grow, times to be forgiven and times to forgive. Times of laughter and of heartache and tears. The “good thing” of relationships is the love shared.

“Try to understand other people. Forgive each other. If you have something against someone, forgive him. That is the way the Lord forgave you. 14 And to all these things, you must add love. Love holds everything and everybody together and makes all these good things perfect. 15 Let the peace of Christ have power over your hearts. You were chosen as a part of His body. Always be thankful.” Colossians 3:13-15 NLV

Yesterday brought disappointments and there will be more to come. We get to choose what we focus on. I choose the good things!

I will give thanks to the Lord for all the wonderful blessings in my life!

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Clearing Clutter

This morning when I got up and looked around the house I stopped to be thankful for my mother.

When I was a girl we lived in a trailer. My dad worked in road construction and we moved frequently. Our home moved with us. But there isn’t much room in a trailer and so everything had to have a place. I was allowed one junk drawer and when it was full I either had to throw out some of the old or I couldn’t keep anything new.

I learned to appreciate the qualities of tidiness and organization that were a natural part of Mom’s life and adopted them as my own. I have one friend who comes to visit and she always tells me, “I love coming to your house, it’s free of clutter. Always picked up and neat. It makes me feel comfortable and welcome like you were expecting me.”

The Apostle Paul said this in I Corinthians 14:40: “Let all things be done decently and in order.”

He was referring to the local gathering of believers in Corinth and the order of their service. He admonished them that it should be orderly so that those attending weren’t confused but gained benefit from the service.

He used the word “All” and every place I have researched the word all means all. I’m not trying to convict or condemn any who have cluttered homes. It’s a personal choice and I won’t judge you.

However, when it comes to cluttered minds, thoughts or actions that can be a detriment to us hearing God.

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

It’s hard to “be still” with a thousand things on our mind. It’s important that we have our thoughts line up with God’s so that we can make wise and godly decisions.

In the very beginning the earth had no form and was void of life but God spoke the worlds into existence with His words and brought order and beauty. He removed the chaos. His Word will bring order and beauty to our lives as well.

I know how busy things can be at this time of year. Family, friends, food, festivities can lead to frazzled nerves and frustration. Take time to walk away from the clutter and the busyness. Clear the clutter. Be still.

The Father is waiting for you!

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Horn of Plenty

When I was little I was impressed with the pictures of a “cornucopia” . The first time I really remember hearing about them was in my second grade class as we learned about the first Thanksgiving. More fascinating than the pictures of these big baskets with fruit and vegetables spilling out of them was the word itself.

Cornucopia.

With practice I learn to say it well. It was such a grown-up sounding word. Cornucopia, the word, originated in the early 16th Century: ‘from Latin cornu copiae ‘horn of plenty’ (a mythical horn able to provide whatever is desired)’.

Early in our marriage I purchased a horn-of-plenty and each year it either sits on our table or on the breakfast bar. I filled it with small ears of Indian corn, a couple of gourds, a miniature squash and a few acorns. They spill out ever so gently.

Plenty. To provide whatever is desired…sounds just like Jesus to me.

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT

We aren’t blessed so that we can be selfish and keep all we have just for us and our little few. No. God’s blessings are meant to be shared. We are to be an example of our heavenly Father who has given us all our blessings.

If Jesus had been selfish he would have instructed the servants at the wedding to fill a couple bottles of the good wine and bring it to Him and his disciples. Forget about everyone else. If He had been selfish He would have multiplied the loaves and fishes, had a picnic with his closest followers and let everyone else fend for themselves. If He had been selfish He would have never come to earth in the first place. He would have stayed in heaven.

But…”God so loved the world He gave”.

I’m going to encourage you to do something tangible over the next few days. Give.

Give to a food bank (most grocery stores have boxes where you can donate food stuffs), give to a charity that cares for the homeless. Give to Samaritan’s Purse, you can go on-line and build a Christmas Shoe Box for a child in need. Give to the Angel Tree organization, they provide for children whose parents are incarcerated. Give to the Salvation Army. Give to your local church. Just give, no gift is ever too small.

“‘For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Matthew 25:35-40 NLV

When we take from what we have and give to someone who has less we are acting like our Father.

I’m so thankful that others have given to us during a time of need. But I am more grateful that we are able to give.

May your horn always be filled with plenty!

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God Bless America

This morning I would like to share the words of one of my favorite patriotic songs. It’s not Scripture but it does give thanks to our heavenly Father for shedding His grace on our founders and this nation.

America the Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!

America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!

America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Today we honor our Veterans, those who have served in the military. These men and women left their families at home and put their lives on the line. They fought to protect and preserve our freedom.

When we see someone wearing a military cap or driving a vehicle with specialized plates signifying their service we should thank them. We need to express our gratitude.

“Show respect to those you should respect. And show honor to those you should honor. 8 You should owe nothing to anyone, except that you will always owe love to each other.” Romans 13:7b-8 ERV

Show respect – show honor, it’s a way of showing love.

May God continue to bless America.

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Needing Direction

Have you ever had that feeling of being lost and alone?

I think GPS devices were probably invented by someone who had been lost or had a loved one who had been. As annoying as that silly voice is, there is some comfort in knowing that someone knows where I am even if I don’t.

Dave and I watched a movie a while back, “Adrift”. It is based on a true story of a couple who are lost at sea. In one particular scene the young woman is using a sextant to plot their location. In desparation she declares that they are so far off their original course that she doubts anyone with find them. Physically they were lost but they were almost emotionally or mentally lost. Alone and afraid.

I think more people experience being lost emotionally than do physically. The inner turmoil that comes from feeling lost in a big world is unnerving and creates fear. There’s a way of thinking that leaves us feeling isolated and alone even when we are in a group of people. Where’s the GPS for that?

Glad you asked.

“With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. 6 Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow.” Proverbs 3:5-6 CEV

We all experience uncharted territory as we go through life but there is One who has gone before and He knows the way and will direct us safely through.

Joshua was a man who had been Moses assistant. He was being groomed to lead the Israelites into the land that God had promised them. Joshua had been there once as a young man but this was new territory. Being the leader of a nomadic nation of over a million people was also new territory. He had many reasons to feel lost and alone but he also had a word from God.

“Then Moses called Joshua. All the Israelites watched while Moses said to Joshua, “Be strong and brave. You will lead these people into the land that the Lord promised to give to their ancestors. You will help the Israelites take that land and divide it among them.  8 The Lord will lead you. He himself is with you. He will not fail you or leave you. Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid!” Deuteronomy 31:7-8 ERV

Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid. Let God lead!

Joshua followed that word and the Israelites were successful in conquering the new land God had given them. The first step into this uncharted territory was the step Joshua took in his heart. He put his confidence in the Lord, not in his own abilities. He trusted God to direct his steps.

What are our uncharted territories? Relationships, career, education, medical, financial, political or maybe a combination of these. We are not alone; we don’t have to have all the answers and in our finite minds we won’t. However, there is One who will guide us through. He will never leave us on our own.

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 NLV

We can take comfort in that!

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A Rose Is A Rose

Several years ago I planted a rose bush in our front courtyard. The blooms aren’t very big but they are plentiful. They have a beautiful yellow base, tipped in red.

Once a week I go out and prune the blooms that have dropped their petals. There are always new buds getting ready to open. I love to see the new growth.

Our lives are much like that rose bush. With the right amount of sunlight, water and care we blossom. We grow and fill our little world with beauty.

“Stay joined to me and I will stay joined to you. No branch can produce fruit alone. It must stay connected to the vine. It is the same with you. You cannot produce fruit alone. You must stay joined to me. 5 “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit. But separated from me you won’t be able to do anything. 6 If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be like a branch that has been thrown out and has dried up. All the dead branches like that are gathered up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 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. 9 “I have loved you as the Father has loved me. Now continue in my love. 10 I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and he continues to love me. In the same way, if you obey my commands, I will continue to love you. 11 I have told you these things so that you can have the true happiness that I have. I want you to be completely happy. 12 This is what I command you: Love each other as I have loved you. ” John 15: 4-12 ERV

See how many times in these few verses Jesus repeats “stay joined to me”? Go back and read it again and let it sink in.

Stay Joined to Me!

When we are joined to Him we produce fruit. Beautiful blossoms just like my rose bush. Our fruit, love for one another, brings beauty into the world and brings joy into our lives.

Stay Joined to Me!

Jesus isn’t separating from us. In fact, we have His promise in Hebrews that He will NEVER, no NEVER leave us or abandon us.

“Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” 6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say,“The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 AMP

We don’t have to be greedy and selfish when we are joined to Him. The vine supplies all we need for a good, healthy and prosperous life. What a wonderful promise. Never, under any circumstances, will He desert, abandon, forsake or let us down! Never!

Stay Joined to Jesus.

His commandment to love is what produces good fruit in our lives. It causes us to blossom. He promises us true happiness and His constant companionship, in this way we bring the beauty of Christ to our world.

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Happy Cast Away

I don’t know how many of you have had any experience fishing but some of my best childhood and teen memories are centered around fishing with my dad.

When I was quite small Dad would buy my sister and I bamboo cane poles for our fishing excursions to the lake. No reel necessary. Just a bamboo pole, a length of fishing line, a hook and a bobber. We would sit for what seemed like hours waiting for the bobber to go under indicating we had a bite and more than likely a fish.

Our older brother and our dad had the fancy poles with the spinning reels. They could cast a spinner bait or a live bait half way across the lake where the big fish were. How I wished I was old enough for a spinning reel. Eventually, dad bought me one and now I have several of my own.

Yesterday afternoon I sat thinking about those good ole days and then I remembered a story a friend of ours told us about fishing with his three year-old son. They were in the boat, on the lake. He said he had described in great length how to properly use a spinning rod. He had even showed his son, a couple of times, the way to release the line at just the right time.

The explanation was finished and he felt confident that his son was ready to take the rod in hand. He handed the pole, with baited hook, to his son and said “ok, throw it in”. He turned to pick up his own rod and heard a “ker-splash”. He turned around to see that his son had done exactly that. He threw the whole thing in – hook, line and sinker. There is was – the rod and reel beginning to sink. Dad quickly grabbed the fishing net and was able to retrieve the gear. We certainly all got a good laugh at our friend’s expense.

However…that is a perfect example for today’s Scripture verse.

“casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” I Peter 5:7 NKJV

So many times we are the ones with the spinning reel and rod. We cast our cares out to the deep water, far from us, but when nothing happens we anxiously reel them back in and try to take care of them ourselves. Once again we become anxious and overwhelmed so we cast them out their again. We wait on God to do something about our cares. It appears God is being slow, so we reel them in again.

But that’s not what this verse says…Casting them all upon Him. Just like our friend’s little boy in the boat, God wants us to throw our cares in – hook, line and sinker. It’s then and only then the Father can retrieve them. He takes our cares, makes them His own and we are left empty-handed.

While we cast away our cares there is one thing we are told NOT to cast away.

“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:” Hebrews 10:35-36 NKJV

Oh what joy – to be care-less and confidence full!

I was convicted about some things that I keep reeling back in. So, I encourage you to do what I did yesterday on the sofa in my living room. I grabbed those cares and made the biggest cast I could and got them to the Father with no strings attached. When I did I saw God cast the confidence of His Word to me.

I hope you will do the same.

I very thankful that I get to be a “cast away”!

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Where There’s Peace

We’ve had the opportunity to live in a lot of beautiful country; wide open spaces with pastures of grazing cattle, majestic mountains in the background and the sky filled with clouds ready to blanket the earth with snow.

And there, I can sense the granduer and glory of God!

“For every animal among the trees is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird of the mountains. And all things that move in the field are Mine.” Psalm 50:10-11 NLV

If God knows all of this, and He does, how much more does He know about us and care for us? He knows every time we get up and when we lay down. He sees us on our restless nights and when we sleep peacefully. Our Father knows when we work at a frenzied pace and when we rest, trusting Him to handle it all.

“I look at the heavens you made with your hands.
    I see the moon and the stars you created.
4 And I wonder, “Why are people so important to you?
    Why do you even think about them?
Why do you care so much about humans?
    Why do you even notice them?” Psalm 8:3-4 ERV

King David expresses what I have felt. “God, you have done so many great and wonderful things. Why do you care about me’? There is a real peace that comes from enjoying the beauty in nature. How many “meditation” videos have been made with soft music and scenes of nature’s beauty from around the world? All of creation tell of God’s glory and remind us we are not alone.

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. 4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.” Psalm 19:1-4 NLV

Do you hear their message?

“I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more than birds?” Matthew 6:25-26 CEV

Take a drive to the country; get out in nature. If you can’t do that, watch a YouTube video. Take time to view God’s handiwork and listen to the message it’s preaching. Every mountain, every flower, every cow, every bird, every sunset/sunrise, every wave on the shore are telling us to trust the Father and be at peace.

I’m so thankful for nature. It’s a reminder that He’s got the whole world in His hands!

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The Wings of a Dove

Several years ago I was sitting outside enjoying the beauty of a Big Sky Montana summer morning. It was a beautiful morning and I was dwarfed by the panoramic views from our yard; 360 degrees of unobstructed, bright blue sky filled with large white puffy clouds.

God’s creation is glorious!

I noticed, circling high above my head, a dark spec on this brilliant blue background. Getting lower with each circling pattern, it didn’t take long to identify this seeker in the sky as a crow. He finally descended to the ground, having spotted his morning’s meal from such a lofty perch. I couldn’t see what he was pecking at but no doubt, it was the carnage left from a coyote’s kill the night before.

I told our daughter, “Imagine how disgusting it would be to spend your life eating what something else had killed and left to rot in the field.”

By now you must be asking yourself “where is she going with this? I thought she was going to write a message. Oh, but I am.

Sometimes it takes a while to get through the introduction to the meat of the message but here it is. This crow reminded me of the raven in Genesis 8.

Noah and his family had been on the ark for over five months. The rain had stopped and the ark rested on the top of a mountain. No more floating! Noah waited a bit and then he sent out a raven, which the Bible says flew around until the waters dried up. Noah also sent out a dove “to see if the water had receded but the dove found no resting place” so it returned to the ark.

Why didn’t the raven come back too?

It had a ready food source. The bodies of the animals which had drown provided him an unlimited food supply. They also provided him with a place to rest. He could sit on their decaying bodies and didn’t need the trees to rest in. It didn’t bother him a bit, he was a scavanger.

The dove, on the other hand, needed life – green shoots and seeds to sustain its life so it returned to the ark. Noah waited seven days and sent the dove out again. It returned that evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf. Noah knew that life was returning to the earth. He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again. This time the dove didn’t return. Noah knew it had found a place to rest and food to sustain it.

I’m so glad that our Father uses a dove to symbolize the Holy Spirit and not the raven or the crow.

“So Jesus was baptized. As soon as he came up out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw God’s Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 17 A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him.” Matthew 3:16-17 ERV

A dove, bringing signs of life – how appropriate, a dove resting on the One who is the giver of life! The Holy Spirit has been sent to fill and empower each believer as a sign of our new life in Jesus Christ.

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 NLT

This wonderful life is a free gift from God. A life of sin is death (crow’s food) but our new life is a gift from God – abundant and free!

Our life produces fruit; love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith. The fruit of the Spirit (dove’s food) is fresh. We need to make sure there aren’t any ravens circling over our heads. The Holy Spirit desires to fill us with peace. Be full of abundant life!

“If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace.” Romans 8:6 ERV

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Life’s Greatest Blessings

A year ago I started keeping “My Gratitude List”. I would pen a couple of lines in my morning journal, two or three things, that I was grateful for from the day before. In December the list focused on wonderful gifts that the Lord has blessed me with – strength, health, joy, a day of baking, time spent with friends and family. After the first of the year I continued recording my gratitude and my gifts, thanking the Father each day for specific things.

As I flip back through the pages my heart is warmed by the many times that I make reference to my kids, grandkids and great grand. As a mother, I have much to be thankful for.

Some years back I wrote this on my Facebook News Feed. I believe it was one of those things you are supposed to copy and share. The words rang true then and still do today.

“I loved you the minute I knew I was pregnant. I loved you the minute you were born. Then I saw your face and fell in love some more. You were only a minute old but I knew I would die for you. To this day I still would. When I choose to have children I made a conscious decision, to allow my heart to walk around outside my body. You, my child are my heart.”

Once I begin to focus my thoughts on my kids it doesn’t take long before I am focused on my heavenly Father and His love for me. The capacity to love deeply and unconditionally as a parent comes from Him. The ability to forgive and not be bitter come from Father God. The willingness to forget the struggles and focus on the “best” all comes from the Lord.

We are His children and He has chosen to forgive, forget, encourage, correct, instruct, praise and nuture each and everyone of us. He doesn’t grow weary by our questions, He’s always there to calm our fears. Never has He abandon us or left us on our own – even when we’ve told Him we don’t need Him, that we can handle it without Him.

Our family is far from perfect. I say that tongue-in-cheek because none of us are. I was not the perfect daughter and I haven’t been the perfect mom. That’s why having a perfectly loving, heavenly Father means so much to me. He sees my failures, covers me with forgiveness and sets me on the right path.

“The Lord is kind and merciful.  He is patient and full of love. 9 He does not always criticize.
 He does not stay angry with us forever. 10 We sinned against him, but he didn’t give us the punishment we deserved. 11 His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. 12 And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children.” Psalm 103:8-13 ERV

How could I limit my love when He never has! Our names are written on the Father’s gratitude list.

“We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father will comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us and gave us through his grace a wonderful hope and comfort that has no end.” II Thessalonians 2:16-17 ERV

Counting my blessings today – my relationship with my heavenly Father is the first thing on my heart followed by my family.

I am grateful for the full and rich life I have!

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