Room in Your Life for Jesus

Have you ever wondered as Christmas time draws near

about the place where Christ was born,

and about the people there?

Have you ever had a dream or pictured in your mind,

imagining the town, the night, and stable -- would you find

a blissful place of gladness where Bethlehem’s creatures fed,

with people standing awed and quiet around the baby’s bed --

a place where love and tenderness fell gently on the air,

with shepherds bowing down in love with halos in their hair?

I put myself in dreams and thoughts of Bethlehem last night,

and tried to think just how I’d feel at such a wondrous sight.

As I watch from hidden places --

as I strive to be aware --

I see a woman, tired and worn,

her face a mask of care.

I hear her prayers of pleading

that God would see her plight.

I see her husband stop and ask

for shelter in the night.

No room -- the words familiar, how terrible they seem

because I looked at Mary’s face in this my Christmas dream.

No room, I wonder as I wake, are those the words I say

when I fill my life with toys and things and push my God away?

May your Christmas time be blessed with the joy of Jesus birth 

of knowing that He loved so much that He would come to earth.

Remember too the words  “no room.” and never let it be

that you’ve no room for Christ to live

in you eternally.

May you be blessed this Christmas by Christ living in your heart.

Taken from "These My Christmas Dreams"

It's December - so what?

December - the month that children wait anxiously for, that pocketbooks dread, but the month that can mean more for a person's relationship with God than almost any other time of the year, but only if we stop to spend time with Him. 

Do you have love/hate feelings about this month, about Christmas time?  Let's work on getting "love" to be the primary feeling for all of us.  Maybe we should start out by thinking about why we celebrate December 25.

This month I'll be including little pieces of my book, "These My Christmas Dreams" from time to time.  I hope you enjoy them.

Music is such a beautiful part of preparing for the Christmas season.  God made us so that we would love music.  God made us so that we would sing (some of us, a little off key) but still we sing.  God's song is all about forgiveness and love.  Sing today.  Sing of the Baby in the manger.  Sing of the God who loves and forgives.  His song and His heart are full of forgiveness. 

Floating on the breeze I hear, touching, poignant, crystal clear,

a song of heavenly majesty,

a message sent from God to me.

The song was born when God’s heart broke at His creation’s sin.

He named the song forgiveness.

It would bring us back to Him.

Beating in the heart of God the Holy song began. 

Forgiveness, oneness, purity, is coming back to man. 

Sing and celebrate God's forgiveness.  That's why He came.  That's why we celebrate.

His Presence

God is with you today, even when you don't feel Him there.  I wrote this many years ago, but it came to mind when I had a talk with a friend the other day about God's presence.

How often do I wonder if You hear me when I cry.
How often do I fear that You won't want me when I die.
How often do I feel that You're just sitting there on high
not caring if my heart is sad, or if in tears I lie.

How often do I wonder if You hold me in Your hand.
How often do I feel that I'm just sinking in the sand.
How often does my heart cry – “Are You really in command?"
How often, it's so often, that I feel, alone I stand.

Oh my father God in heaven, my mind knows when I cry
that You are ever near me, and You'll be there when I die,
that You are not ignoring me , just sitting there on high -
without a thought or care for me, when I question -- Jesus why?

My mind knows, but my heart sometimes forgets when I am low
of Your presence and the love for me, and miracles You show.
My mind knows, but my heart forgets when anxious feelings grow.
Please help my heart remember
Your presence is the blessing
that I can always know.

My friend gave me this little bit of advice that I'd like to share it with you.

One secret to developing a heart of gratitude is that we shouldn't wait for something

to be happy about. We need to stretch ourselves and claim the blessing of God’s

presence in every situation.

Isn’t that profound? How many times have you been down in the dumps and thought that there was nothing to be happy about. “The blues” come into everyone’s lives – some of us more than others.

I’ve been blessed with a personality that seems be positive most of the time. But there are certainly days that you wouldn’t want to be around me because I’m a real grump. Depression doesn’t settle on me often, but when it does, I realize just how unpleasant it can be.

About three mornings a week I stumble into the living room, strap the weights on my ankles and do my exercises. I stretch and I lift and I grunt and I sweat, and then I stretch again. The knees need the workout, as well as the tummy and back of course. But in spending those 40 – 45 minutes on the floor, I’m developing stronger muscles and a body that will be able to handle the things I expect it to do.

Of course I could just sit around and wait for the muscles to get strong on their own, I could moan about not being strong enough to climb our driveway, or walk in the woods. Or I could sit and wonder why God doesn’t fix my old knees, but I really don’t think that would do a lot of good. It’s the same way with developing any good thing. We have to work at it. We have to stretch ourselves.

So when we get to feeling a little blue and don’t think there’s anything to smile about, we need to open ourselves to the idea that God’s presence is the greatest gift of all. That’s something to be grateful and happy about even in the hard times.

You know that song, count your many blessings, name them one by one? Well if there was only one, what better blessing to sing about than God’s presence! The Bible calls Him Immanuel, which means God with us. He is!

Thanksgiving

November is the month of Thanksgiving, I’ll bet that when you were a little child your mom taught you to say “please and thank you.” I remember so many times when someone gave me a piece of candy or a gift, my mom saying, “And Diane, what do you say?”

Do you think that’s what God wants from us – a polite “Thank You?” I really don’t think so. Oh, I believe He wants to hear us say the words, but only if they come from deep within our hearts. A heart overflowing with gratitude is what God expects from His children.

Colossians 2:6-7 tells us, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

God wants our hearts to be filled to the brim and overflowing with thankfulness to HIM. I get a little upset at Thanksgiving time, because it’s lost much of the meaning it held when our nation began to celebrate that holiday. The early settlers were Christian people who, with overflowing hearts thanked God for His care, His provisions, and His help.

It wasn't until 1941 Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each November as a national holiday. That may have been a good thing, and maybe not, considering what the holiday has become. People think of it as a day of watching football and eating Turkey. In fact many of the cards you see in the stores refer only to “Turkey Day.” If you see a card that speaks of giving thanks, it seems more often than not the emphasis is on thanking other people – not God. That wasn’t the way the observance began, and if we think about where everything ultimately comes from – it’s probably not the way it should be celebrated now.

Hebrews 12:28 tells us, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe."

Worshipping God with thankfulness, with reverence and awe, means seeing Him as He is - The Ultimate, The Creator, The Life Giver, The Gift Giver, and our Savior.

So what should we be thankful to God for?  The scripture tells us some of the things.

People  - 1 Timothy 2:1 says, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—“

Think about the people that have filled your life over the years, family, friends, and acquaintances, teachers and preachers. They are all people who have helped you grow and taught you life lessons. Some of the lessons were hard and others were taught in a gentle manner. I think about one man who served as the preacher for our church in Texas for a short time. He taught us all to laugh and he taught us to hug and he taught us generosity. This man had a huge influence in my life and the lives of my husband and children – because he lived exactly that way – laughing, hugging and giving.  I also think about my parents who brought me up in a home that was dedicated to God.

Every gift - In 1 Timothy 4:4 we read, “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.”

Everything that God created is good. Wow! When He made the world, the grass, the trees, the fish and the birds and the sky and the sea, He said “It is good.” But as we look around us, and as we receive the blessings that God has given us, do we receive them with thanksgiving? Do we actually thank HIM for warmth, for sunlight, for rain, for a place to lay our tired heads at night? Or do we think that we did something to earn all of that?

James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Every situation -  The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Every situation may not be pleasant. I’m sure that many of you know that with a deeper intensity than I do, and there are times that all we can do is cry. God says not to be anxious, but how can we do that?   The scripture says, by prayer and petition – by talking to God, but always with a grateful heart. and “with thanksgiving.” I don’t believe we need to be pleased with adversity, but we can always be thankful to God that He is in the adversity with us.

He walks with me
In sunshine or in rain
He’s by my side
Oh may I ne’re complain
He aches with me
As I try to stand in vain
He breathes for me
when my body’s racked with pain.

God loves me so
May I with heart and voice
Give thanks to Him
And in His love rejoice.

Remember with me that Thanksgiving is a decision not a date on the calendar.

May God bless each one of you  - I thank God that He put you into my life..

He Abides

Have you ever felt that God was right there with you when you were walking through the hard times?  Did you feel His warmth and care?  Sometimes we only think of Him when we "need" Him, when our hearts are troubled by the cares of our lives.  But sometimes I feel His presence even more in the good times. 

We have had such a beautiful autumn this year.  The golden leaves on the aspen trees, the fresh crisp air and the bright blue sky all seem to cry out "I praise you God."  The religious Jewish people have a tradition of "blessing" or praising God for everything.  When they wake up in the morning they bless Him for the sleep, for the morning, for the ability to wake up.  When they get dressed they bless Him for being the one who clothes the naked.  When they eat they bless Him for His created food and on and on all the day long.


Today I bless God for His love - for loving us so much that He gave His only Son that we might be able to walk with Him through all of our days.

God abides in my life in a marvelous way. 

He is lifting me up

hour by hour

day by day.

He gives me rest when I’m weary and hope when I’m low. 

When I lean on his arm, then His strength He will show. 

I can count on His love and I know He will stay

and gentle my fears

hour by hour

day by day. 

God watches close when I sleep. He’s with me in my play,

from the first blush of morning until light fades away. 

He laughs at my antics and smiles when I please. 

He helps with my working,

and rests when I cease.

God abides in my life in a marvelous way,

lifting me up,

hour by hour,

day by day.

And He’ll abide in your life if you ask Him to stay

lifting you up,

hour by hour,

day by day.

Diane

Raindrops

Do you think blessings come only wrapped in pretty paper? Do they come down from heaven fully grown and emitting beautiful smells and light? Or do they sometimes come to us as rain?

The word “Raindrops” sound beautiful, soft and lovely. But when we use the word “Rain” it has a different sound to us. Like something a little harsh, like a trial. Let’s explore that a little.

Do you remember reading the book of Job? Job was a good guy. He did what God wanted him to do. He lived a pretty blameless life.

One day Satan sought to tempt Job into cursing God. God knew Job’s heart and knew Job would always honor him, so God allowed Satan to have certain liberties in dealing with Job.

It was devastating - Job lost everything. His children and servants were killed and he lost all of his riches. Soon he was afflicted with sores over his whole body.

Of course it would have been good if Job’s wife had been sympathetic, but she didn’t seem to be. She even asked him why he was still following God. She said - Curse Him and die – NICE WIFE. Job called her a foolish woman and said, “Hey, don’t you think we should accept the trouble along with the good that God has given us?” (Or something to that affect.)

When Job's friends confronted him, Job said, “even if God kills me, I’ll still trust Him.” How’s that for faith? It’s interesting that he didn’t say, “I know God will fix everything.”

Job laid out his complaints to God. But he also asked God to show him where he had fallen short. He spoke of God’s goodness, and yet complained about the state he was in. He feels God isn’t listening to him and boasts about how good he’s been. He just doesn’t understand – and that’s the crux of the matter. 

God’s answer sets Job back a bit. In Job 38, it says:, Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”  Later God said, "Have you ever given orders to the morning or shown the dawn its place . . . "Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?

Finally God asks Job to answer Him.

Then Job answered the LORD. He said, ”I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.”

Later Job says, “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job had been complaining about something he didn’t even understand. He was putting himself on the same level as God. We often do that. But how can we always understand the mind, and the power of God? Job didn’t know that he was an example to Satan of the type of trust God’s expects people to have in Him. He didn’t know that God was so sure of Job’s love that He could allow Job to go through these troubles. He didn’t know that the blessing of learning God’s desire for purity was going to be his. He didn’t know that although he thought he was good – he fell far short of the purity of God. He didn’t know that God was showing even Job how to trust Him.

In the end Job began to see another side of this relationship, because he repented and God forgave and blessed him abundantly!

God sends the rain to wash clean our hearts. Jobs blessings came through raindrops. This time the rain was a real gully washer, tearing through Job’s life. It was accompanied by wind – a real storm. The rain in Job’s life was a blessing. It helped him grow, and because of it, Job learned more and more to trust God and to know that no matter where he found himself, in the sunshine or the rain, God is God even though we don’t always understand.

Sometimes our blessings come through raindrops.

You might want to copy this URL and listen to Laura Story sing Blessings. It’s beautiful.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mmgV6mPvb0&noredirect=1

Remember and Tell Your Children

Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced Psalm 105:5


There are so many ways that memories affect us. Sometimes they make us happy, or angry, or maybe afraid. But when our memories are based on what God has done in our lives, there is comfort and contentment. God tells us to remember and to pass those memories on to others.   

Grandma and Grandpa Kasworm

My memory is definitely not as sharp as it used to be. But that doesn’t mean that it is gone – I find that it just takes a little longer for the wheels to turn, and sometimes it takes something to jog that memory.

Smells do that for me. I remember the smell of the Russian Olive trees that surrounded my Grandma Saathoff’s house, the smell of the earth when my mom was planting her garden, the heady smell of the pine trees that were so much a part of camping with the family.

I remember the smell of my Dad when he came in from working on the car. I can’t go to a garage without that picture in my mind of his greasy hands and overalls.

Remember the good times.  The Bible says to think on the "whatevers."  Philippians 4:8 (NIV) says

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

More importantly, do you remember the things that God has done for you? When the Children of Israel were slaves in Egypt, God rescued them. And He told them to remember!



“Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.” Deuteronomy 5:15

God told them to Observe the Sabbath day. He was referring to what became the feast of the Passover. He wanted them to remember everything about that day when He passed over the houses of His people and rescued them from slavery. God said to observe that day. He wanted them to take some time out from their regular schedule to remember.



Do you take time out to do that? I know that as I’ve gotten older, I do have more time to remember, but what I do with my thoughts? Do I spend more time reading or watching TV or doing crossword puzzles? Now there’s nothing wrong with any of that – crossword puzzles are my choice – sharpens my brain – I think. But do I spend more time remembering what God has done for me or for the ones I love?

God didn’t tell us to just remember – He tells us to tell others about Him so that they can learn to revere, respect, and love Him. He said to tell our children – to tell the people. He told the Israelites - - “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.” Deuteronomy 4:10

God also said that if we remember, we won’t be afraid. If I remember the times that He has rescued me from my own bad choices, or if I remember the times that He has answered my prayers for help, I won’t be afraid. He told the Children of Israel. “do not be afraid . . . remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. Deuteronomy 7:18

 

What are you afraid of? Do you think that the God who sent the plagues on Egypt, who rescued a million people from the hands of mighty Pharaoh, and protected and provided for His people for centuries, cannot provide for and protect you? If you have fears, remember the times that God has protected and provided for you in the past. And if you can’t remember any time that happened, think of the times He protected others who loved Him.

And finally and most of all, we need to remember who God really is. He’s the rock we can stand on. He is the creator of all things. He is our Father, Redeemer and Friend.







He Will Set My Feet Upon a Rock

I’ve been reading a bit about the Psalms lately. They are provide inspiration for my soul and they touch  my heart!

About two-thirds of the Psalms were written by the greatest song writer this world has known. His name was David. David, who started life as a shepherd, became a king and shepherd of the nation of Israel. David was a flawed human just like the rest of us. He sang songs of sorrow for his sins, songs that were cries for help, and songs of praise to the God who helps and forgives.

Other authors of the Psalms were masters of the choir or singers. The individual Psalms were gathered together, written down, and used by the Israelites in worship. Jesus often quoted the Psalms in His teaching. You’ll find two in the beatitudes.

Here is one of my favorites, Psalm 27. I’ll only quote the first and the last part of it.

The LORD is my light and my salvation—

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid? . . .

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,  to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.

Wow! To see God as our light and salvation, to know that He is the "stronghold,” the only thing that will not fail with the storms around us, to never have to be afraid, what a blessing.

If I can really seek God and want to live with Him all the days of my life, and if I want only to look at His beauty and goodness, oh, that is a blessing.

He will keep me safe if I hide in the shelter of His love. He will put me where I can withstand the roaring waters of this life. He will set me high upon the rock and I will not ever need to be afraid.

Morning Song

On this early fragrant morning

with a sweetness in the air

I wake to see the night wind has swept clean the path of care.

As the dew drops crisply sparkle

and the morning dove says “Hi!”

I look up and see God's paintbrush has touched the eastern sky.

A splash of pink awaits my eye,

 along with soft blue gray

and as I watch the colors change I greet a brand new day.

Soft green fur on the mountain

with granite facets aglow.

And the morning wind brings on its breath

rich perfume for those below.

To rise before the dawning and to see the dark sky turn to gold,
and to walk in His new clean morning helps me feel ever close to my Lord.

As I wake on each new tomorrow and I watch as the painting grows clear,

my heart swells with praise in the dawning light, ‘cause I know God, the artist, is here.

How will I fit in that painting? What is the picture you’ll see?

As the Painter stands back and looks at his work,

along with the beauty, there's me. 

The canvas is filled with the work of God’s hands,

the valley,

the sky

and the hill.

And He painted a women and loved her so much

that He freed her to live as she will. 

So the Painter awaits, and looks at his work,

the beauty,

the glory,

the day,

and the woman He made in His image of God, will trod on the canvas her way. 

Will she bring joy or sorrow to the heart of the Painter?

He's The Hero of My Story

When I have my grandchildren overnight, they always want a bed-time story. Many times my stories involve the remembrances I have of growing up. I imagine you have stories to tell as well – seems the older I get the clearer my memories of childhood and the foggier my memories of what I had for breakfast.

But the most important story I have is the story of how I met Christ, and how I was adopted into His family. Because you see, that’s exactly what happened. God searched for me, He wanted me as His child. He loved me, He reached out to me, I took His hand, and now I’m a child of the King.

Galatians 4 tells us that “. . . when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” He’s our Father and we are his heirs.

But I question whether my life shows that? Do my actions say I’m His child? Do they make my Father proud, or does He sometimes want to pretend I don’t belong to Him?

When my son was about 5 years old, we were in a department store and He, being his father’s child and curious as to how everything works, managed to turn off the escalator. When I saw who was involved in the catastrophe, stopping all traffic between the two floors of the department store, I continued walking, trying to pretend that Curt didn’t belong to me. It didn’t work – He yelled, Mom, I didn’t mean to do that, and came running toward me. So as everyone turned toward me, I had to claim him.

I am God’s child and He does claim me, even when I mess up and when my actions cause Him to cringe. There are so many times when I don’t make my Father proud, but I wonder - if I were to always put Him in my story - would I make as many mistakes as I do?

When I’m talking to someone who wants to complain about someone else, will I listen and repeat the gossip if God is a central part of my own story?

When I wake up in the morning, if I remember that God is a major part of my story, will I thank Him for the sunshine? Or will I complain that I have to get out of that comfortable bed?

When I sit down to eat, if I remember that God is the giver of everything good in my story, will I thank Him for my food?

When I’m hurt or afraid, do I remember that God is with me in this story? If I do, He gives me strength and calms my fears.

Recently we were in the Badlands and a terrible hailstorm came up. My granddaughters and I had just walked away from the truck and were looking at the gorgeous rock formations. Just then the clouds let go of some rain and then some hail. I called to my granddaughters that it was starting to hail and to run for the truck. They did – by this time the hail was getting bigger. I’m not as fast as I used to be, so I knew I couldn’t make it to the truck without getting hit by the golf-ball size hail, but I was able to reach a two sided shelter. From that shelter I couldn’t see what was going on with the family, but I prayed that they’d made it to the truck. The hail continued to fall, banging on the roof and sides of that shelter – hitting the ground and bouncing up and hitting my legs. As I put my face in the corner, and covered my head as best I could. I have to honestly say I was afraid for the safety of my family and for myself. I prayed there in that corner. The storm lasted for a long time, but when it finally let up I found my family mostly unhurt. The hail had broken the window and cut my granddaughter’s face a bit. The truck was quite damaged, but we were all safe. God was with us, and I knew it. He is the creator of the storm, and the master of it. He was the hero of that story.

Maybe if I remember how strong God is, if I remember that He gave me this life, if I remember that He cares deeply for me – If I remember to make Him Lord of my life – If I remember that He has written the story, He will smile and be pleased with my efforts to please Him. But even when I don’t remember, when I don’t please Him, He loves me, cause I’m His kid, and so are you.

Loving God - Doing His Will in Humility

I cannot love God as God, if God is the means for loving myself.

“I want to help out. It will be good for me to get out and do something.”

“I have a much better self-image since I started doing my Bible study regularly.”

“Being a Sunday school teacher is so satisfying. It makes me feel good about myself.”

Each one of these statements sounds so good.  But if you break them down, who is at the center of each? I’d venture to say it would be “me.”

My friend, Joe, gave me the quote at the top of the page and I’ve been trying to put it into my own words for a long time.

If I worked in Jesus’ vineyard, if I walked along the way

down rows named deeds and mercy

helping others without pay,

if a smile was fixed upon my face, contentment in my stride

because the work I’m doing
gives me such joy and pride.

Then I'd ask myself the reason that I do the things I do.

Am I walking down those avenues

for God, or me or you? 

Am I working for His kingdom or to raise my own flag high? 

Oh God, please take the “me” away.

Let self within me die.

Let me work here in Your vineyard

Let me serve You from the start.

Help me be a help to others. Let me do my little part. 

Help me focus on Your kingdom and then push the “me” aside

and I will have contentment. 

Humility will be my guide.

Attitude

Last Sunday our minister spoke about “Attitude.” He said a good many things that hit home, but the one that convicted me the most was that our attitude reflects or reveals us. It reveals what is in our hearts.

 

My attitude shows whether my heart is full of love, or of self-centeredness and pride. The way I react to situations, to people, reveals who I’m putting first.

Am I truly happy at another person’s good fortune, or do I filter it through my own wishes and desires? Do I react with understanding and patience when people inconvenience or hurt me, or do I filter that through my own self-centeredness?

Do I look in the mirror under a rose colored light? There are some rooms that are illuminated by pinkish tinted light bulbs. When you look in a mirror in those rooms, you tend to look prettier and younger. But my light bulbs at home are bright white. In them I’m able to see every wrinkle and bump. I prefer the pink ones, but if I want to really see what’s there, I need to subject my face to the bright light.

My attitude is the mirror, and the Bible is the bright light. When I look at my attitude mirror with the light of God’s Word, I find out just how close I am to having an attitude like that of Christ.

In Romans 15:5 and 6, we read

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The pink light is pleasent, but the bright one is best.

Making lemonade

Are you making lemonade out of the lemons in your life?  The Bible talks about Joseph, son of Jacob, who was a young man, chosen by God to do a great thing.  Joseph's older brothers believed that their father favored Joseph, which was true.  Jealousy can be an awful thing, and the brothers were jealous of Joseph. 

One day, when he went out to them with a message from his father, the brothers caught him and put him in a pit. Not a great place to spend the night.

That’s the first place Joseph didn’t want to be.

When a slave trader came along, they pulled him out and sold him. He was taken to Egypt.

That’s the second place Joseph didn’t want to be.

But God was working, and Joseph was sold to a man named Potiphar.  Joseph made the best of the situation and became so trusted by Potiphar that, after a time he put Joseph in charge of his whole household. He was making lemonade out of the lemons in his life..  Along came Potiphar’s wife who tried to get Joseph to sin.  He wouldn't, and the wife arranged it so that Joseph was thrown into prison.

That was another place he didn’t want to be.

But while in prison, Joseph again became so trusted by the prison warden that he was put in charge of all the prisoners. Of course, God was blessing him every day -  blessing him, but not necessarily changing the situation. You know, sometimes that’s how it works. All along Joseph was learning lessons. He was learning how to be a manager, how to deal with people, how to trust God, and how to act as a child of God should. He again made lemonade.

After a while two of the Pharaoh’s servants were sent to prison, and while they were there, Joseph explained their troubling dreams.  He was sure to tell them that the interpretation came from God. The baker would be released within three days and Joseph asked that he tell the Pharaoh about him and try to help him.  But the baker forgot all about Joseph. 

That was another situation that didn’t go the way Joseph wanted it to. 

After a couple of years, Pharaoh had two dreams that no one could interpret. Finally, the baker remembered his promise to Joseph and told the Pharaoh who had Joseph brought up from the prison.

Joseph explained the dreams. He said there would be seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine so severe that there would be nothing left. He told Pharaoh to put a wise man in charge, take a fifth of the harvest during the years of plenty and hold it in reserve for the seven years of famine.

Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the palace and the people and the produce. I wonder if that was a place Joseph wanted to be - it certainly was where God wanted him.

It worked just as God had planned. When the famine came, it not only covered Egypt, but all the lands around and after a while Joseph’s father sent the other brothers to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph recognized them and after some testing, Joseph told them who he was.  They were terrified. They knew he could do anything he wanted to them because of his position. But the most amazing thing happened.  Joseph forgave them.  Though Joseph, God was protecting the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel.) He was keeping his promise to Abraham.

With God’s help, Joseph was able to make lemonade when he was handed lemons.  He was able to be strong and righteous, instead of being angry at the situation and places he landed.

God was with him in the Pit, and in Slavery, in Prison, and in the Palace of the Pharaoh. And as long as Joseph kept making lemonade out of the lemons in his life he could move on and do what God wanted him to accomplish.

Are you making lemonade?  Just remember who is with you in the kitchen.

Hide and Seek

God may be hidden, but He is not hiding.

Hide-and-go-seek – remember the game, trying to find the best place, under the stairs, up the tree, or behind the garage? The idea was not to be found. I was never very good at that game.

I want you to know that God doesn’t play games with us. He doesn’t hide from us. His love and His care may be hidden from us by all of the world’s confusion and noise, pain and wickedness. But He promises us that He is not hiding from us. In His scripture we read:

. . . . He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too

will love him and show myself to him.”  John 14:21

God wants us to see Him, to know Him. He’s made his character known, not only in the Bible, but in the world around us.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities

—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, 

being understood from what has been made. . .   Romans 1:20

So if you wonder where He is, please know and trust that He’s there with you. Look at the rainbow and see his promise and His majesty. Listen to the word of truth when He says “I will love you.” And let yourself be found by Him.

What Defines You?

Remember the children’s story in which the queen looks in her mirror every day and asks, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”

Everything seemed to be okay as long as the mirror confirmed that she was the most beautiful women in the kingdom. However, one day the mirror came up with another answer and the queen became obsessed with ridding the kingdom of her rival. Jealousy reigned.

When we focus on what others think of us, whether it be a person or a magic mirror, trouble will come to our kingdom.

Who should define us? What should define us? There are three stories that we play a role in – our own story, Christ’s story, and the world’s story.

We have to play a part in each of these. We are alive, we live and move and think. Therefore we have a life story which must connect with both Christ’s story, and the world’s.

If we identify too closely with the world, we begin to look into its mirror and desire the admiration of the world. We want to live up to society’s definition of beautiful or smart or good.

But if we draw close to Christ and look into His mirror, we will want to be more like Him. We will live and move and think in a way that pleases Him. I’ve found that when I’m with someone I admire, my mannerism and voice unconsciously tend to mirror theirs. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we acted and sounded like our Savior without even thinking about it? It can happen, if we spend a lot of time with Him and if we truly love and admire Him – if we allow Him to define us.

Jesus is the Vine, we are the branches.

John 15:5

(NIV1984)

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

He's With Us in the Morning

What has your morning brought today? Did God show you His unfailing love?

Maybe you’re like me, and you struggled to get out of bed and moving today. If that’s true, we can find the answer together. After my exercises and breakfast, I sat down and did a little Bible study. Unless I’m working on my class or writing something, my studies aren’t really too in-depth, but today I thought about God giving us sign posts. As I looked that up in my online Bible, I found this verse and it really spoke to me.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

Psalm 143:8 (NIV)

Isn't that beautiful?  "Let the morning bring me word of your unfialing love,"  What a great way to greet the day.

It’s true that today, my morning didn’t start out with an outbreak of songs of praise. It’s also true that I didn’t feel particularly loved (or lovely.) But when I began to listen to my Father, I was able to rest in His unfailing love and my spirits were lifted. I find that when I listen to Him, look into His Book, I can find the way to live my life joyfully, and where to put the next step.

God loves you with an unfailing love, no matter what you see when you look into the mirror.

Have a blessed day.

He is King

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Sometimes we feel so much afraid of what this life might bring
of sickness, death and loneliness, of pain and suffering.

And the bigger that these fears become, the more we need our King,
who’s the King over death,
the King over want
the King over suffering,
the King over lack and loneliness.

He’s King over everything.

God’s strength is that of hurricanes.
He is wisdom, power and might.
But unbounded is His love for us.
He keeps us in His sight.

He holds us in His massive arms and holds us through the night.

In the Desert

Isaiah 35

The desert and the parched land will be glad;

the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. 

Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;

it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. 

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,

the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;

they will see the glory of the LORD,

the splendor of our God.

Strengthen the feeble hands,

steady the knees that give way;

say to those with fearful hearts,

“Be strong, do not fear;

your God will come,

Do you see the splendor of God in the desert, in your desert? Can you see the twisted tree continue to live, to breathe life into your desert? Are you that tree, sprouting, living, or giving shelter? Are you that tree – continuing?

God has given us the beauty of the twisted to see how He works in our lives as well. We are twisted, but we can still live, and more than that - we can rejoice and blossom.

Sometimes we feel twisted and broken and we wonder if there will ever be anything to rejoice about. But God will strengthen our feeble hands, and steady our knees. He will say to our fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear:”

Your Choice

It’s your choice!

Will you wallow in the darkness, or look up to the light?

With all the “yuck” that’s going on in the world today, it’s so easy to get down, to feel depressed, and to wallow in the darkness of life. With the availability of bad news at every turn in the road or at every click of a button, it is impossible not to hear and be touched by the trials of our times.

But do we hear and see just as easily – right before our eyes, the light, the beauty, the good, the honorable, the sweet and pure? It’s there, you know. In fact, it’s easier to see because it’s in our own back yards.

A friend recently sent me a captivating video clip of an older Marine veteran singing the Star Spangled Banner. He sang the forth verse.

“Oh! Thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

And the Star - Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

That gentleman singing with no accompaniment but with a heart full of love for his country demonstrated an elegance of the soul that shines through when any man looks at the light.

I recently saw a beautiful smile on the face of a single mom who is struggling to raise her son with joy and gratitude for the life God has given her. When you ask her how she’s doing, her response is always a heartfelt, “just wonderful.” Life isn’t easy for this precious woman, but she chooses to bask in the light of her young son’s bright smile.

The brilliant sun is bringing warmth today. The cat is stretched out in the sun, shining through the living room window. The horses are out in the corral soaking in the sunshine. Animals revel in the light, the sunshine.  This morning when I went out to feed the horses, our gelding, Marshall, put his head down against my leg and asked to be rubbed. He nuzzled my furry hat and stood there, not moving, just being close, even though he had to be hungry. How can you not see the beauty and the wonder in that?
Breakfast today was Cream of Wheat for me and grits for Ron - simple, warming, comfort food.  On a day like today, Cream of Wheat was a gourmet feast.

There are so many other demonstrations of “the good” that come to my thoughts right now, the love of my husband and children, my granddaughter’s telephone call yesterday (she’s only 11), the beautiful view outside my window and . . . I could go on and on. Of course there are people who would say, “boy, she’s easily entertained” and maybe I am, but for me it’s a choice. I choose to be delighted with life. I choose to see the beauty. I choose to look at the light..

Time Out

When our children misbehave we might put them in “Time Out.” That sounds like such a negative thing. When a football game gets too stressful or changes need to be made, the coaches call a “Time Out.” That's a little more positive.

Time, according to my wonderful Thesauruses, can be an interval, era, date, point, instant, hour, or period. There’s more, but that will suffice.

If you look at Ecclesiastes 3 in your Bible, you’ll find an interesting look at time.

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

This summer, this day, this hour there is a time for everything. Not necessarily time for everything, but A time for everything. There is a specific time that God has given you for every activity you need to do.

Tomorrow, you might want to consider taking a “Time Out” in the earliest part of your day to thank God and praise Him for giving you this time, and then, I'm sure, you will find the time for what He’s given you to do.