 "The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him."
Habakkuk 2:20
There are many times in life that the human list of "to dos" starts the heart racing with anxiety. Spending a restless night, tossing and turning trying to figure out how all the situations of life are going to unfold, makes for one tired individual come sunrise! As I turned to my daily devotional, Habakkuk 2:20 was the designated scripture. This served as a gentle reminder that the Lord is still in His holy temple! Our God has not moved, He is steady and stable and knows exactly what is going on in each life He has created. So what do His children need to do? Be silent before Him. Do the best you can with each day presented.....no more, no less. Try to lessen your list and take time to breath in the beauty of the Lord. God bless, my friends.
 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them."
Matthew 18:20
On Sunday morning my family prepared to leave my parents' home after a great weekend of celebrating my mom's birthday. As we packed up the car, my dad and mom turned on the television and began listening to a sermon by Charles Stanley. The older my parents become the more I realize that television evangelists are needed. Not all elderly individuals can attend services each Sunday morning especially during inclement weather. Although some of the TV preachers may not be suited to everyone, there are humble men of God standing before those cameras truly doing the work for which God has called them.
Seeing my folks holding hands and listening to the music, taking in the sermon from a closer view with the volume turned up where they could hear and sitting in a more comfortable chair than a pew, I saw church from a different perspective. God did say where two or three were gathered He would be in their midst. This morning God joined my mom and dad as they worshipped from their family room. It was a beautiful sight. God bless, my friends.
 "This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it."
Our thanks for all the friends and family that came, rain or shine, to celebrate Mom's 90th birthday with us. It was a great time of laughing, sharing and just having time to chat with those we haven't seen in a while. God has been good and we are thankful for all His blessings.
Hope each of you have a wonderful day of worship. God bless, my friends and enjoy worshipping our Lord and Savior!
"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:9
My mom and I were entering a store at the local mall in Lynchburg on Saturday afternoon when we were pleasantly surprised by a young man's actions. My mom was holding onto my arm as I balanced my purse and hers with my other arm. Approaching the entrance I tried to reach for the handle of the door when I noticed there were two young men, probably in their teens, sitting on a bench next to the entrance. One of the young men immediately got to his feet and opened the door for us. Furthermore, he walked behind us to a second set of doors and opened that one as well. I turned to him and said, "There aren't a lot of young people who would demonstrate this kindness to strangers...thank you so much." He simply smiled. My mom and I commented later that this was an act of generosity we wouldn't soon forget.
A recent television commercial came rushing to mind of kind deeds being done for others as strangers look on. The next frame of the commerical has the person who was blessed now performing a kind deed for a stranger and on the advertisement continues. It is called "passing it forward" and today I witnessed that type of kindness. It is my goal to do the same for a stranger tomorrow. Let's bring back the "passing it forward" concept and see a tidal wave of goodness emerge! God bless, my friends. Have a wonderful Saturday!
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
As I knocked on the door to my mom's bedroom Thursday morning, she answered for me to enter. She was sitting in a chair half-dressed following her shower. "It just takes me forever to get showered and dressed anymore." I sat down on the bed and said, "Mom, you are 90 years old today. You are taking care of your bathing needs and dressing yourself. There are many individuals 90 years old that can't do those things alone. You are blessed." She agreed with a smile and continued pressing on.
It often amazes me what my mother is still able to do. But to her, she has regressed quite a bit. Later during a dinner at the Texas Roadhouse (my mother LOVES to eat steak) the waitress announced that she was 90 years old today and everyone clapped and cheered. As we left the restaurant, Mom was stopped by a table of lovely women that admitted they hoped they would look as good as my mom if they were blessed to reach the age of 90. They kept telling her she was beautiful and she was overjoyed at their compliments. (I'm praying mom's genes are dominate and are resting on my shoulders!).
Little did she know when the day began as she struggled to meet her own needs, that at day's end, she would feel so good about herself and what she can accomplish at this new age. She even sat on the floor tonight and played with her great-granddaughter. I pray that I reach this ripe age, look as good as mom, and still can meet my daily needs. God has been so good. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.....regardless of our age! God bless, my friends!
To give is to receive-Gerald G. Jampolsky
We are taught as Christians that it is more blessed to give than to receive for giving is a blessing in itself.
The blessing might be wrapped in a praise or unexpected surprise, but it will surely find its way back to the giver. Do givers expect a return on a good deed hoping it will create an I.O.U. from the recipient? Not a true giving heart.
On this day (April 26th) my mom is turning 90 years old. She is the dominate figure in my life that has taught me about giving to others not worrying about receiving something in return. Part of that role modeling has come from the stories she has told me of her giving and the actual display I have watched throughout the years. Two particular accounts stand out in my mind that I have learned about my mother and her ability to be a caregiver. First, she stayed at home to take care of her mother for a year following graduation from high school as my Granny recuperated from tuberculosis. Secondly, after her second son, my brother, Bobby, was diagnosed with a brain injury caused during his birth, she cared for him 24/7 until he was placed in a facility for special needs individuals at the age of six.
Those two stories alone are amazing to me. Can you imagine being a teenager right out of high school and your life is being put on hold while you are surrounded by illness? And then later as a young mom, having a child a little over a year old and, giving birth to a second (while your husband is off in service), you find out your second child has a brain injury and will never be like the "normal" kids? So you attempt to keep him at home and care for him for SIX years???
Giving of our time and energy graciously and generously is tough. It means stepping outside your own world into the surroundings of someone who needs assistance. Leaving behind your own interests and desires, the other person becomes your main focus. What could possibly be gained by such an extension of yourself? A deeper understanding of; “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35b) and “A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.” (Proverbs 18:16). We learn to put another person first.
I am truly thankful for a mother who has taught me the concept of giving to others. She exemplifies the phrase, “to give is to receive” through her continual ability to be thankful in all circumstances for all things and still give joyfully. Happy 90th Birthday, Mama!
"Direct my footsteps according to your word"
Psalm 119:133
As most of you have read in previous blogs, Gary and I have a granddaughter, Lucy Anne. God is teaching us many lessons again about the miracle of birth and watching a baby grow and develop, but sometimes I will read a scripture and the
spirit nudges me to share a nugget. That happened as I read the scripture from Psalm 119:133.
God has always desired that we become as little children in order to learn the simplest tutorials from His Word. The Lord wants to direct our footsteps in order that they align with the teachings from the Bible. If we live by His Word, our footsteps will be met with less struggle and detours than if we traveled without God’s GPS system. When we go astray, we can ask for forgiveness and God will recalculate and redirect our steps to once again“make our paths straight”.
Lucy Anne is beginning to move around quite a bit. Soon she will be crawling and eventually she will figure out that her little feet and legs will move her body in an upright position. As she learns how to walk, we will hold her hands in ours and direct her legs and feet. We will give her plenty of space to walk in open areas where she will not be harmed, scraped or bruised. As long as she follows under our direction, she will be fine. But one day Lucy will be able to move about without holding on to us. She will need to remember and make decisions that will get her from point A to point B safely; however, there will be many lessons to learn along the way and some involve falling down.
Sounds simplistic, doesn’t it? But our Father God must be thinking the same about each of us. He allows us to make mistakes, fall down and sometimes bruise, but He’ll always be there to pick us up, brush us off and hold us when we need to be comforted. Once comforted, we will wiggle our way to our feet once again and God will once again watch and wait.
Hopefully, our mistakes will not be repeated and the direction of our footsteps will bring honor to the King!
God bless, my friends!
"My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest."
Isaiah 32:18
As I read this scripture from Isaiah, it took me a few moments to digest what was written. "My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest." Wow, how comforting to read that God's people (you and me) will live (not maybe, but will live) in secure homes (not ones to be broken into by thieves), in undisturbed places (in an age of high tech cell phones, Ipads and Ipods...undisturbed?) of rest (now that's a four-letter word we don't get permission to incorporate often!
Taking this one verse at face value it can be compared to placing your feet in a creek at the end of a hot, tiring day. God desires to give us rest and peace of mind. How is this to be accomplished? First, we need to be people of God. Trusting in our Lord and giving Him control of our little finite minds, actions and words is a good starting point which can only be done once our heart has been totally surrendered to our Mighty Creator. In turn, God does the rest. He will place us in peaceful and secure homes where we will be able to rest free of worry or fear. That doesn't necessarily mean the end of chaotic events in our lives, but it aids us with being able to cope and continue living for Him in the midst of each situation.
Take a few moments and create in your mind that perfect place of undisturbed rest. A place surrounded by peace and tranquility. It might be your home when you find yourself alone, or a cabin that you visit frequently. It might even be a walking path or trail you enjoy, but wherever it may be, allow yourself permission to get alone with God there. Use these opportunities to listen to His voice and be anointed with the Lord's goodness and mercy! God bless, my friends.
"When I create, God lights a fresh candle of joy for the world."
"Steeping my life in beauty brings color to my days and a song to my heart"
"It's a simple, liberating reality the best things in life are mine for the choosing."
Thomas Kinkade
It is totally amazing to me that the man who painted works of art that made me want to step inside each house on the canvas and call it "home" had situations in life that weren't as beautiful as those scenes depicted in his paintings. Additionally, these three quotes were in a collection of his work with each statement written on a card displaying either a lovely cottage, a road leading to a cottage or a farm located at the foot of a mountain.
What happens in life to rob us of the joy the Lord intends to remain with us forever? What becomes of our hope? What causes the light within our souls, like the light Mr. Kinkade always portrayed in each of his paintings, to grow dim until we can no longer find our way through this maze of human-ness?
We must remember God never changes. He is always hovering near to guide us and lead us through dark and difficult times. We need to hold to the promises of God. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, niether angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
God bless, my friends....have a happy Monday!
Let
us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy
set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews
12:2
On Saturday night Gary and I went to the movies. It's not often we spend the current asking price for a first run film, but in celebration of tax season being over, we went out to dinner and headed to the big screen. Before the movie started, several individuals filed in and began finding their favorite spots from which to view this film. An older couple sat down in our row approximately six seats away from us and shortly afterwards the lady received a call on her cell phone (this I am sure since the muscial interlude played about four bars before she could comfortably hit the talk button) and she proceeded to let everyone within hearing range eaves drop on a detailed conversation dealing with someone in the hospital. As she was ending her call, the movie previews began and with the loud digital sound system I was sure this would end any further calls or conversation.....wrong!
Throughout the movie, the husband and wife commented to one another about various events that were happening on the the screen. Just when Gary and I would be focused on a particular scene and we knew what would probably be coming up, the Mr. & Mrs., six seats away, would verbalize for the audience what everyone else was thinking. It became a bit hilarious, but irritating at the same time. I began to think about this scenerio in comparison to my spiritual life. How many times do I try to focus on what God would have me do, say or give thought to and the whispers of the world deter my attention? By whatever means; humorous or serious, my attention strays and before you know it, I've given up and gotten up.
Although the movie was good, a spiritual lesson was learned. Focus on the things of God with greater effort. Secondly, if you see older people coming into the theater, find a seat a little further away! They honestly think they are watching a DVD on a huge screen in their living room! God bless, my friends. Have a great day of worship!
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