Sunday, June 19, 2011
“Inquire for and require My presence as your vital need.” — Psalm 27:8 (AMP)
Several years ago, I had the desire to practice God’s presence. I heard many messages on the topic and even read a few books. However, I was still going about it the wrong way. I thought to practice God’s presence was to feel some kind of special feeling of His presence – like an incredible peace that takes over. Over the years, I have come to understand this differently. God wants us to desire His presence. Actually, He is always present. Praying to God and forming an intimate relationship with Him can be one of the ways we practice His presence; but that’s just the beginning. We need to get to know Him better. Scriptures help us to understand His likes and dislikes. Just like we would any other being. That’s why Bible study is so …
Sunday, May 22, 2011
“For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away (and enjoy to the full) what is promised.” —Hebrews 10:36
Looking out the large picture window I noticed how my neighbor’s colorful tulips livened up the landscape. As I gazed and enjoyed the red, yellow and pink flowers all of sudden a thought popped into my head, "I wonder if they are still there...” I hurried out the back door over to the side of the garage. I peered around the corner, about half way to the back of the garage, I spotted them. Three red tulips in perfect bloom. I was excited and amazed. They were back! These three hardy blossoms survived another major blow. This special bouquet first appeared a few years ago, after my husband dug up some weeds that were growing next to the house. He dug them up and buried them next to the garage. He doused them with paint thinner and covered …
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Avoid cultivating weeds in your life to let your garden bloom.
The fields are covered with lovely yellow dandelions. I remember as a young girl, the first day of May was celebrated as “May Day.” Many people gave May Day baskets to loved ones. At school I folded a large piece of paper so it bowed like the bottom of a basket, cut a strip of paper and stapled it to make a handle. After school that day, I took my basket, gathered a bunch of dandelions and brought them to my mother. I thought the bright yellow blooms were gorgeous! As I grew up, I was told those dandelions were more in the weed family than flowers. What I thought was a beautiful bloom, turned out to be a weed. Later in life I realized there were still many times I was cultivating weeds. I poured my heart into something or someone with all …
Sunday, May 8, 2011
“Honor...your mother.”— Exodus 20:12 (NIV)
Mother’s Day is the one day of the year that we take note to honor our mother. I found that commandment (or instruction) within the top ten listed in the Scriptures in Exodus. To “honor” our mother means to show her respect. The best thing our mothers did for us was to give us the chance of life. If we can’t find one other thing that we respect her for, that is a good one. My mother passed away when I was 28-years-old. Although she’s been gone for many years, I still have fond memories of her and all the good things she taught me. She had a great sense of humor, I wish I had. She was artistic— which is something I see forming more in my latter years. She was kind and generous. She opened our home to her friends who were needy and less …
Sunday, April 17, 2011
“Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1: 9 (AMP)
We recently had the pleasure of baby-sitting two of our grandchildren. The 8-month-old was sound asleep in the crib and the 6-year-old big brother wanted to go into the bedroom to get something. My husband, aka “PaPa” simply said it was okay to go ahead and get it, but keep the light off. At that news our grandson froze in his steps and responded, “Come with me, Papa!” The thought of going into the dark took the joy out of retrieving his item. Papa tried to encourage our guy there was nothing to be afraid of and to be brave and go in by himself and grab his belonging. But our little guy stood firm and insisted he couldn’t do it alone. As Papa stood up to accompany him, his whole body language changed; his shoulders relaxed, a smile crossed…
Sunday, April 3, 2011
“There is a season for every activity under heaven.”—Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)
I watched as the red-breasted robin stuck its beak into the hardened soil. He was searching for a worm. I was excited to see that the robins were coming back; the sight of them signaled to me that a new season is on the way—the cold dismal days of winter would soon be coming to a close. Spring is officially here! Especially when we see the return of the robins. I noticed my husband is already talking about his outdoor landscaping projects. The new season triggers many new activities. People come out doors again. Baseball, soccer, kite flying and other sports draw people to come outside and enjoy the green grass, blue skies and warm spring breezes. The garden centers open and the planting of flowers and fresh greenery begins. Ahhh, what a …
Saturday, March 19, 2011
How the power of a smile can change your day.
I opened the mailbox to retrieve a handful of mail. I quickly rifled through the envelopes to see what we had received. I noticed my name was penned on an envelope. I scanned the return address and noticed it was from a friend. Once inside my home, I placed the mail on the table and reached for the envelope opener so I could read the card. As soon as I cut through the top and pulled the card out I noticed a bright yellow, smiley face was staring back at me. My friend scribbled some curly hair on top of the smiling faces head and a couple of earrings donned each ear. I could feel a smile emerge across my lips as I took in that sight. Warm feelings bubbled up from inside of me as I thought about the precious sentiments behind the note. I …
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
“They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” — Isaiah 51:11
At last the rigid cold snap ended. The temperature soared over 40 degrees outdoors and the sunshine was abundant! My husband was energized and working on a project, but ran out of materials. So we took a ride to his favorite hardware store. Driving down the highway we noticed the unusually high volume of traffic. Every street we turned onto appeared to have a long string of cars. We shared with each other how the sunshine and warm temperatures brought people out of doors. It was like a breath of springtime was taking hold of the community and everyone wanted to experience some warmth and sunshine, after the long cold winter season— a boost of warmth and sunshine lifts your moods and evokes some joy! There’s nothing like a spring-like day …
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
“Faith, hope, and love abide...but the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Corinthians 13:13
Walking down the isle of a local store I noticed hearts, flowers, cards and other small momentums reflecting the month of love was upon us....February and Valentine’s Day! Ever since I was a young girl I enjoyed exchanging thoughts of love, giving and receiving Valentine cards. One year, I bought a box of Valentine’s and sent one to everyone I know....my friends were delighted! They hadn’t received a small paper Valentine in years. I included one for each member of the family; the children thought it was fun to receive something kind in the mail. Giving a Valentine is a loving sentiment, But love is something greater than giving a sentiment to someone you love. Love is the greatest thing in the world. It’s a way to live that makes us …
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
“ First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”—Matthew 7:5 (NIV)
I smiled to myself as I listened to my son voice his complaint about his brother’s habit. “How interesting, “ I thought to myself, “ he just said the same thing about you.” I did my best to diffuse the situation by mentioning something positive about the brother in question. I didn’t want to go stirring something up between them. Due to hardships and economical situations, my sons are cohabiting. Like the odd couple trying to make a bachelor pad “ home sweet home, “ however, it can take a little compromise. Some give and take goes a long way. Face it...co-habiting isn’t easy. Whether you’re a married couple merging into a household, or raising a family with several people under one roof, even sharing a space at work with a co-worker takes…
i j
11:50 pm on Monday, May 16, 2011
Very inspiring.God bless! more ›