Category: Provision

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Trust in Time of Trouble

Monday, Monday.

Do you have a smile on your face as you start this day and this week? As a new day dawns the birds are singing, and the hillsides are showing their green and wildflowers are blooming. The sun is about to rise above the mountain to the east and the sky is clear. It is a good day to praise the Lord.

But I also had to stop and consider the opposite start to the day I have just described. What if you woke this morning, having overslept, there’s a stain on your favorite shirt, the car won’t start, your coffeemaker quit and your cell phone died?

Maybe the problems in your path are more serious than the menial annoyances I named above. It could be health issues, a crumbling relationship, financial upset and your company just announced they’re moving to another location and work-from-home is being phased out.

How do you start your day with those issues facing you?

Trust in a Time of Trouble.

“Fig trees may no longer bloom, or vineyards produce grapes; olive trees may be fruitless, and harvest time a failure; sheep pens may be empty, and cattle stalls vacant—18 but I will still celebrate because the Lord God saves me. 19 The Lord gives me strength. He makes my feet as sure as those of a deer, and he helps me stand on the mountains.” Habakkuk 3:17-19 CEV

Being a Christian doesn’t mean we will never have problems, not at all. However, it does mean we have the constant attention of the “Problem Solver”. It is the Lord who comes to our rescue and saves us. He gives us strength and makes us able to stand on the rocky ground of the mountains.

When we trust Him, He takes us to a higher place. A place our adversary can’t reach. Make today a day to stand on the mountain tops!

Thank God for His faithfulness and protection. Trust Him in Time of Trouble!

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Big or Small

Do you remember teaching your children the concepts of big and small? A watermelon is big, an orange is small. An elephant is big, a mouse is small. A bus is big, a VW bug is small.

We taught them how to categorize and distinguish between the two.

The small things you can handle on your own but with the bigger things you need to ask for help. You need to ask for help when learning to mow the lawn, but you can put your shoes on by yourself.

We do that with the issues in life as well. The small things we can handle, no need to ask for help but the bigger issues, the life-changing things, we take time to pray and/or ask others to pray about so that we can get God involved.

What I find interesting is our perception of big or small. What, if anything, is big to God? He is the one who created the universe – He set the planets in orbit and the placed the tides that control the seas. He gave man the wisdom to split the atom and the vision to create a laser beam that could be used in intricate surgeries.

Yesterday I was reading one of my favorite passages in Matthew. It’s Jesus’ teaching of the sermon on the mount. Jesus was talking about the weighty issues of life.

“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 much more than birds?

27 Can worry make you live longer? 28 Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. 29  But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them. 30 God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. God will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?

31 Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” 32 Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these. 33 But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 6:25-33 CEV

The things that seem monumental to us, the things that cause us to worry, are commonplace to the Father and He has a plan for taking care of them. He wants us to bring everything to Him.

The birds don’t wake up in a fret each morning wondering if there will be enough bugs or worms. No, they start their day with a song and then head out to find what God has provided.

The flowers don’t have anxiety attacks when producing their beautifully colored petals. They just bask in the sun, take in the moisture and grow.

Big or little?

The Father knows the very number of hairs on our head, now that is the little and He also says He will supply for ALL our needs. That’s big!

He promises that when we seek Him and His ways, “put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well”.

Trust Him. The big and the small – it’s all in His hands!

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There’s An App for That

Somedays do you feel weak not really able to face the day? Or is it a feeling that you’re unappreciated or undervalued for who you are? If that’s the case, then here’s your answer to end those days of malaise.

Years ago, many, many years ago, a well-learned man put down a plan that has the ability to uplift, encourage and strengthen anyone who will put it into practice.

I guess you could say he wrote a life-changing app before anyone knew what an app was.

” I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 16 So I never stop being grateful for you, as I mention you in my prayers. 17 I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God. 18 My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people.

19 I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used 20 when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. 21 There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. 22 God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. 23 The church is Christ’s body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.” Ephesians 1:15-23 CEV

When we ask the Lord, He will give us understanding of that hope , the power that He has made available to us (raising from the dead power) and what it truly means to be a part of the body of Christ!

This is a bad analogy, but I will use it just the same. Many Christians are like a new smart phone user. Only using their phones to make calls and send a few texts. They don’t know how to use it any more than that…download the apps, take pictures, use the GPS, on-line banking, the language translator, etc.

It’s time to get educated about who you are in Christ.

Utilize what’s been given to us. The data plan is unlimited and we’ll never have a power outage or dropped call. We are Christ’s body and we are filled with all He is.

Download the app. Take advantage of all the Father has programmed into it. He’s designed it perfectly – forgiveness, acceptance, protection, provision, peace, joy, worthiness, abundant life. It’s all at our fingertips.

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Wrapped in Peace

Last night Dave grabbed my phone and captured this beautiful end to a raining afternoon. I didn’t see the shots he took until this morning. They brought a smile to my face and a sense of peace to my heart.

The image made me wonder how many skies like this Peter saw on the Sea of Galilee and many times Jesus looked up at the end of a long day and saw the rays of the sun shining through the clouds?

Peter would see the clouds and think like a fisherman. He would be focused on the natural while Jesus was about His Father’s business and the lives that needed to be changed.

I don’t know Peter’s thoughts or concerns, but I do know that Jesus was always intent on doing what the Father had sent him to do, to serve mankind and tell them (us) of the Father’s love.

He would draw away from his disciples in the evening and then again in the early morning hours to pray. He was always aware of the Father’s presence, and He was wrapped in the peace that only comes from above.

One particular night Jesus had sent his disciples off in a boat and He stayed by himself to pray.

“At once, Jesus made his disciples get into a boat and start back across the lake. But he stayed until he had sent the crowds away. 23 Then he went up on a mountain where he could be alone and pray. Later in the evening, he was still there.

24 By this time the boat was a long way from the shore. It was going against the wind and was being tossed around by the waves. 25 A little while before morning, Jesus came walking on the water toward his disciples. 26 When they saw him, they thought he was a ghost. They were terrified and started screaming.

27 At once, Jesus said to them, “Don’t worry! I am Jesus. Don’t be afraid.” Matthew 14:22-27 CEV

The disciples had seen miracles that day but out in the boat the miracles and power of God had been forgotten. They were focused on their desperate situation and fear had set in. Jesus spoke words of protection and peace.

Don’t be afraid!

Peter was emboldened by Jesus’ presence and said, “Lord if it’s you let me walk on the water too”. Jesus said, “Come on”. Peter stepped out of the boat and started walking toward Jesus but then he looked at the waves and felt the wind. He was no longer trusting in the one who said “Come” and he began to sink.

Jesus took him by the hand and they joined the other disciples in the boat. Peace was restored.

How many times do we start out on a course that God has designed for us and become frightened by the circumstances around us?

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:6-7 CEV

Take your worries and concerns to the Father in prayer. Our Father who fills the sky with His beauty will wrap you in His peace!

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It’s Ok to Say “Help”

Yesterday was the busiest day for receiving campers, the first day of a holiday weekend!

We thought we were prepared for the influx but it exceeded our imagination. Over 80 camping families arrived in the afternoon. All needed to be greeted, checked in and reminded of a few rules of the campground.

13+ campers an hour for six hours. Works out to one every 4 minutes. Whoa!

Dave and I couldn’t have done it on our own. We are so thankful for the team that we are a part of. The other host couples jumped in to help with the work. Some cleaned bathrooms while others collected license plate numbers and helped keep the line of campers and trailers flowing smoothly.

Praise God! What a blessing.

“I call to God, I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence— a private audience!” Psalm 18:6 MSG

I was blessed with a good night’s sleep but my body was weary when I woke. Have you ever been there? I prayed and said “Father, help me. Help me to be ready for this day. Strengthen me so that I will be a testimony of your love”.

“The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.” II Timothy 1:7 ERV

The Father blesses us with strength for our minds, our emotions and our bodies. He has never intended for us to go through this life without His strength. He gives it freely. He wants us to depend on Him.

Jesus said “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened down. I will give you rest.”

Remember, it’s ok to ask for help. When we ask, He provides!

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Stay Out of the Weeds

Dave and I had been looking for a small inflatable boat that we could use on these mountain lakes. It would need to be something light weight enough that he and I could load and unload it from the back of our flatbed truck without much trouble.

We knew what we wanted. We had been watching YouTube videos for over a year to find the right one. One day there it was on CraigsList. We drove across Phoenix and sure enough, it was perfect for us. But with all the settling in and adjusting to fulltime RV life we hadn’t gotten it out on water until yesterday.

We loaded it up and headed off to a nearby reservoir. It was the perfect place for our first outing. No one else was there so we had plenty of time to get it off the truck and into the water without feeling rushed. We have a small trolling motor that pushed us through the water with ease.

We were even able to fish a little. It is balanced so well. He sat on one pontoon, and I sat on the other. It didn’t rock or list when either one of us cast our line. Perfect.

However, there was one thing we had to be mindful of – the weeds. Dave told me, “Keep a sharp eye out, let me know if it looks like we’re getting into the weeds”. Since the motor is as small as it is, weeds could be a problem. They could wrap around the prop and that wouldn’t be good.

“Stay out of the weeds”!

If memory serves me correctly Jesus said the same thing.

“And what about the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That is like the people who hear the teaching but let worries about this life and love for money stop it from growing. So it does not produce a crop in their lives.

23 “But what about the seed that fell on the good ground? That is like the people who hear the teaching and understand it. They grow and produce a good crop, sometimes 100 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 30 times more.” Matthew 13:21-23 ERV

How many times have the weeds of worry over finances stopped God’s word from growing in my life? Too many times for sure.

When we were first married, we had to close our business and sell our inventory for 10c on the dollar. Then there was the time our oldest were little – ages 2 and 4. We moved back to Arizona from New Mexico and could find no where to live because of a housing shortage. We lived in my parents Class C motorhome (our first RVing experience). Those weren’t the only two times that the weeds of financial worry wrapped around us and slowed our forward movement.

But God…He is faithful! He changed circumstances, gave us creative ideas and used the loving kindness of friends to bless us and see us through. We are still learning to stay out of the weeds; the weeds of high fuel prices, increased food prices, etc.

“ My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 ERV

Maybe you’ve found yourself in a bramble patch or stuck in seaweed. Trust God to bring you through it, don’t let the circumstances choke His word. He is faithful. He came to bring us life, an abundant life, we just need to stay out of the weeds.

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Wrapped in Warmth

When I was praying this morning, I wrote these words: “Let me wear Your compassion like a cape and willingly wrap all who need the warmth of Your love”.

It’s a chilly morning, lots of moisture in the air from yesterday’s rain and although I’m wrapped in my fleece blanket, I was thinking about my warm cape that I usually wear in winter. There’s more than enough yardage to wrap around myself and my grandchildren. It’s perfect for snuggling.

That cape serves to keep me warm and it is an example of how the Father wraps us in the warmth of His compassion.

“The Lord is kind and merciful, patient and full of love. 9 The Lord is good to everyone.
 He shows his mercy to everything he made. 10 Lord, all you have made will give thanks to you. Your loyal followers will praise you. 11 They will tell how great your kingdom is. They will tell how great you are…The Lord can be trusted in all that he says.  He is loyal in all that he does. 14 The Lord lifts up people who have fallen.  He helps those who are in trouble. 15 All living things look to you for their food, and you give them their food at the right time. 16 You open your hands and give every living thing all that it needs. 17 Everything the Lord does is good. Everything he does shows how loyal he is. 18 The Lord is near to everyone who sincerely calls to him for help. 19 He listens to his followers and does what they want. He answers their prayers and saves them. 20 The Lord protects everyone who loves him, but he destroys all who do evil. 21 I will praise the Lord! Let everyone praise his holy name forever and ever!” Psalm 145:8-21 ERV

These verses are some of my “every day” read. “The Lord is kind and merciful, patient and full of love.”

Daily He reaches out to us. Daily He wraps us in His love. Daily He listens to our prayers. Daily He protects us. Daily I will praise Him!

Maybe you are feeling a bit of a chill this morning, maybe you are feeling cold and indifferent. The Lord can be trusted, He lifts us the fallen and everything He does is good.

Take a few minutes to tell Him your heart and let Him wrap you in the warmth of His love.

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Water for the Thirsty

Summertime in Arizona has it challenges.

I saw a quip on FB the other morning that went something like this, “For happy summer life in Phoenix stay indoors from 10 a.m. until November 2”. That made me laugh.

As kids growing up in Yuma, AZ, one of the hottest places in the nation, we knew none of that. We were raised by a working mom and spent our summer vacation at home, alone. No, it wasn’t neglect – it was the way life was. Other kids in the neighborhood also were responsible for staying home and taking care of chores, just like we were. Morning was set aside to completing Mom’s daily list and afternoons were for fun.

The city swimming pool had swimming lessons in the morning but after 1 pm it was open swim. My sister and I would walk to the pool and be there in time for it to open.

Walking in the heat of the day – really? It didn’t bother us, we were on our way to have fun – fun in the water. Of course, once we got to the pool one of our first stops was at the drinking fountain.

Thirsty? We certainly were.

Life, in the natural and spiritual, can be a dry and thirsty place. I love what the Scriptures have to say to us:

“I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born. Israel, don’t be terrified!
You are my chosen servant, my very favorite. 3 I will bless the thirsty land by sending streams of water; I will bless your descendants by giving them my Spirit. 4 They will spring up like grass or like willow trees near flowing streams. 5 They will worship me and become my people. They will write my name on the back of their hands. 6 I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the first and the last, the one and only God…8 Don’t tremble with fear! Didn’t I tell you long ago? Didn’t you hear me? I alone am God—no one else is a mighty rock.” Isaiah 44:1-8 CEV

Just as the Lord sends water to the thirsty lands, He also gives His Spirit to those who are spiritually thirsty. The Holy Spirit brings us refreshing, He restores us when we are weary and brings us peace when we are undone.

Is there anything better than a cool drink of water on a hot day? Anything more comforting?

Oh yes, something much greater. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit who is the Comforter for a weary soul!

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Enjoying Life

The dawn is breaking and this is the start of a wonderful day!

“The Lord made this happen, and we think it is wonderful! 24 This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be happy today!” Psalm 118:23-24 ERV

Yesterday we were told that this morning at 6 am the fire restrictions in the forest will be lifted and campers can enjoy real campfires. In my imagination I can hear the giggles of children knowing they will be able to enjoy s’mores but more than that I sense the relief of all who enjoy this place knowing that we have had sufficient rain to stop the threat of forest fires.

One year ago today we were evacuated because the fire danger was high and any uncontained sparks could have caused the loss of our forest. This morning, life on the mountain has been refreshed.

What was life like for you a year ago or just six months ago? Were you in a scary place? Things seemed uncertain at best?

“But the Lord is faithful. He will give you strength and protect you from the Evil One.” II Thessalonians 3:3 ERV

But here you are today – the Lord has brought you through that. He has sustained you, protected you and given you strength.

Or maybe today isn’t your best day. You don’t see much in life to enjoy. If that’s where you are, look up.

“I look up to the hills, but where will my help really come from? 2 My help will come from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let you fall. Your Protector will not fall asleep.” Psalm 121:1-3 ERV

Our help comes from the Lord, the creator of the hills!

God wants His goodness to be displayed in our lives and He’s given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to do that very thing.

“Give this command to those who are rich with the things of this world. Tell them not to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not their money. Money cannot be trusted, but God takes care of us richly. He gives us everything to enjoy.” I Timothy 6:17 ERV

Take time to enjoy life. Surely His goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

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Rest & Renewal

This morning I overslept – that’s a strange statement for someone to make who is retired and has no appointments for the day but it’s true all the same.

I enjoy getting up in the quiet of the morning, having time to read, pray and then write. That generally means I wake up around 3 or 330 and start my day. This morning it was almost 430 before I got out of bed. Whoa.

As I was praying, I felt I really should be sharing on resting. There are so many things that pull on us every day that we fail to really rest. Then I opened my computer and went to BibleGateway to look up a few verses that came to mind. This was the verse on their home page:

“But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.” Isaiah 40:31 ERV

The two verses preceding this one read like this:

“He helps tired people be strong. He gives power to those without it. 30 Young men get tired and need to rest.  Even young boys stumble and fall.” Isaiah 40:29-30 ERV

He helps tired people be strong. What an encouragement!

In another version, verse 31 says: “They that wait on the Lord will renew their strength”. Waiting on God will renew our strength. It will give us rest. Waiting on or trusting the Lord brings release from worry which brings rest. When we wait, we pause – we pause to get the Father’s plan and His direction.

Jesus was a prime example of this. He would minister all day and night and then he would send the disciples away or He would go to a place to pray – He would wait on the Father. After leaving these places of waiting, Jesus would go about ministering, rested and renewed.

“Jesus healed many of those who had different kinds of sicknesses. He also forced many demons out of people. But he would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who he was. 35 The next morning Jesus woke up very early. He left the house while it was still dark and went to a place where he could be alone and pray. 36 Later, Simon and his friends went to look for Jesus. 37 They found him and said, “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus answered, “We should go to another place. We can go to other towns around here, and I can tell God’s message to those people too. That is why I came.” Mark 1:34-38 ERV

Are you feeling tired today – worn out, exhausted? Take time to WAIT on the Lord. He will renew your strength!!

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