Friday, May 30, 2014

Garbage....

Garbage.....

Once a week the garbage truck arrives to pick up the garbage....the truck pulls up to the plastic container, lifts it up, dumps it in the truck, sets it down and moves on to the next can....gone are the days when the garbage collection was done by a truck  and three or four men, running alongside tossing trash into a truck by hand...this man rarely gets out of the truck, and still needs a workout session at the end of the day...but he is precise in his driving....

In our Bible study the other day, we were talking about Old Testament times when the high priest went into the Holy of Holies once a year to pray for the sins of the nation, the people.  How the people could accumulate a whole year's worth of garbage (sin) and load it upon the priest...they didn't have or take the privilege the torn curtain of the temple to go personally to God with sin like we can now.

Although when you read various accounts of Old Testament people, they did pray and talk to God with out going through the high priest...Job, Nehemiah, David, Joseph, Daniel, and so on...

Now in New Testament times, we have a direct line to God.  We don't have to have someone else go into the sanctuary for us...what an awesome privilege, responsibility...we have the Holy Spirit who lives in us, we have the Son who died for us, the Father who fathers us...all who are on our side, giving us life, purpose, interceding, desiring the best for us...we don't have to wait for that garbage truck to take away the load of sin, we can dump it immediately...

Thank YOU so much for all You do, taking our sins away...always there...listening, pleading our case...

1 John 1:9
New International Version (NIV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 103:12
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Romans 8:34
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Mush......

Mush.........

During times of grieving, which our family has been in for  4 years, it seems like my mind has been part mush or at times, all mush...you work in automatic, you go through the motions, you make decisions, you move forward, not knowing what that looks like....you do the bookwork, the people work, out of habit, out of necessity, but maybe not really comprehending everything, you just do it...

You work on family relationships, people skills, business skills, new skills of various sorts, take up the slack, but moving .......sometimes in a fog......mush......other times with clarity....

As time passes, the fog gets less foggy, less mushy....the pain is less, but still there, less intense...there are still "ambush" moments.....

You come to realize how much God has been carrying you through it all...His mind is always clear, His love has enfolded, lifted up, carried  us through .....He wants to lighten our load....He wants our clarity of mind...Hw wants to carry our grief ....our burdens...

With less  fogginess, less mushiness, we become more self sufficient and less needy....less dependent...less leaning....and not listening to the Spirit....not that He allows trials to make us needy,....I just realize I need Him in the good times as well as the mushy times as well...my mind needs His clarity, His guidance, all the time...


Thank YOU for the fogginess, the mushiness, the grief, even....to highlight the need for You all the time....You bring strength, comfort, transformation, peace....clarity...through the good times and the bad...

Ecclesiastes 2:23a
All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest..

Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Romans 8:6
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Ephesians 4:23
to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:2
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.


Wednesday, May 28, 2014

His presence...wisdom....

His Presence....wisdom....

I have been awake for a long time this am...going over lives, boundaries, ideas, making right decisions, plans...etc, etc, etc...when all I really want is that peace of God's presence, His advice, His counsel....His  words of wisdom and not my own...my own is so minuscule  in the vastness of His...plus, He asks us to ask for wisdom...

Then I finally turned on the lights to read and there was the right devotional, the right words, the right comfort....now just to put it into practice...the very hard and very easy part...letting it flow into my soul, take up residence...trust....obedience....peace...

I was reading that God wants us as His treasure....if that is so, shouldn't we want Him as ours...that Presence, sought after as a treasure beyond price, without end....that wisdom entering our hearts to teach, admonish,  counsel...

Father, thank you that You treasure us, You delight in us, help me to seek, embrace Your Presence in my life in all that I do with Your wisdom ....given generously...  



Proverbs 2:6
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:10
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Jesus calling-May 28

Let Me anoint you with My Presence. I am King of kings and Lord of lords, dwelling in unapproachable Light. When you draw near to Me, I respond by coming closer to you. As My Presence envelops you, you may feel overwhelmed by My Power and Glory. This is a form of worship: sensing your smallness in comparison to My Greatness.

Man has tended to make himself the measure of all things. But man’s measure is too tiny to comprehend My majestic vastness. That is why most people do not see Me at all, even though they live and move and have their being in Me.

Enjoy the radiant beauty of My Presence. Declare My glorious Being to the world!

… which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
—1 Timothy 6:15–16

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
—James 4:8

“‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”
—Acts 17:28

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.
—Psalm 145:3–6

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Unfinished....

Unfinished....

I had to wake myself up from a bad dream. It came in segments, different scenes, different places, but no matter were I was, things weren't finished. Nothing was compete...started projects; tools left everywhere; dangerous situations unsolved; people lost and not found; no directions for anything; uncared for items, homes, people; no maps in towns; no numbers on buildings; neglect everywhere......I kept looking and looking for my dad and my husband, but nobody knew where they were or really cared in all this disarray... Chaos abounded...when I woke up, I felt exhausted from searching and searching...not rest from the sleep, but tired from hunting....

What did it mean?  What was my lesson from this?? I don't know...but it made me think about unfinished chaos, projects, .....what did I need to do?  What was unfinished in my life?  What have I neglected?  What directions have I not heeded? What have I left uncared for?  Whom have I not answered? Have i prioritized and put in order?  Is there someone I need to mentor? Am I finishing the race? Am I completing the tasks set before me?

For me, where chaos reigns, there is not peace .....physically or emotionally ...I need to see or feel that there is some order even the chaos...or a goal in mind....working toward something and a finish...

Thank You for the wake up call....help me to know how to respond ....to finish...to the tasks You have set before me...that would glorify You and further Your kingdom...  


Titus 1:5
[ Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good ] The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

Revelation 3:2
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.

2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24 NIV

Monday, May 26, 2014

Happy birthday, mom...

Happy birthday, mom....

Today, I know is Memorial Day, 2014.  But it is also my mom's birthday.

I remember as a child, we would get together as a family and celebrate my uncle's, my cousin's and my mother's May birthdays all at once...the weather sometimes cooperated with sunshine and we had outdoor potlucks.  When it was rainy, we would gather inside, visit, eat, laugh, and generally have a great fellowship time with one another...cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents...all ages, interests...but family...
If it was at my grandmother's, we  cousins would go upstairs to the attic....where we would play in the trunks, and  stuff there...when I saw the movie, "little women"....that was my grandmothers attic....

Mom's last birthday in 2010 was quieter.  She was having constant headaches from a fall she had taken..but still some gathered..we didn't know it was her last birthday ....here....she had decided to have surgery to fix the headaches....so that it what we were aiming for...she was still teaching art lessons, painting as usual...just with pain...

May is Mother's Day, mom's birthday and Memorial Day all rolled into one month...now I have added three grandchildren's birthdays as well...all great days...

We need to remember Mother's Day for all the mothers in the world...and our world...
We need to remember Memorial Day for the  soldiers who have fought for our country's freedom and continue to do so...
We need to celebrate those birthdays as well....those fellowship times, family building times..for laughter, fellowship, memories....we never know when they may be the last...

So get out the flags, the balloons, the birthday cakes, the barbecue ....the paper plates, the plasticware,...the love, the caring..and enjoy the time spent together....

Thank YOU for fellowship, family, times spent together,....


1 Corinthians 11:33
So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together.

Hebrews 10:24-25
New International Version (NIV)
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

1 Peter 4:9
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

3 John 1:8
We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.


Sunday, May 25, 2014

Innocent....simple...


Innocent, simple....

I recently went to a movie thAt  has been advertised as family oriented....not for me....at all...

I guess I fall into the label as "prude" when it come to some things...I don't like "potty" jokes, porn magazines for teens, scantily clothed women/teens flaunting themselves before others....and feel uncomfortable about topics which need to be addressed but not at the dining room table.

There seems to be so many mixed messages/signals in society...we do somethings and then wonder why crime exists..we produce certain graphic materials and wonder why there are addictions...evil exists....and good has a bad name...openness for some but not for good...

What is bad, is good and what is good, bad...it has been going on the eons of time, but with our high tech society, it seems more blatant and out there for all to see and participate in...

Help me to follow good even when it is not popular ....to seek good, not evil, to think good, to seek You wisdom and not be drawn into the pleasures of the world just to fit in....

1 Timothy 5:6
But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.

2 Timothy 3:4
treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—


Romans 16:19
Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.


Romans 12:9
[ Love in Action ] Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.


2 Timothy 2:22
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.


James 1:21
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

3 John 1:11a
Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.....

Luke 6:45
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

1 Thessalonians 5:21
but test them all; hold on to what is good,


Colossians 1:10
to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.







Saturday, May 24, 2014

Wakefulness .....

Wakefulness....

My mind was working through accounting last night and this morning...so obviously I didn't sleep well again...as accounting is not my forte.  I can keep lists everyday, and keep things in order, work through details on people lives,pay bills,  but knowing business numbers, taxes, accounting, check balancing is just not my cup of tea. So when I have to do it, I have sleepless nights....did I do it right, what's the history of this number, where does this expense go, etc, .etc, etc...and I am working with two accountants and one very efficient office assistant...

But, this is where God has placed me for a season...learning along the way...so sleepless it is ....woke up to this devotional this morning.....was God trying to talk to me or what?????

Jesus calling-"May 24

Bring me your mind for rest and renewal. Let Me infuse My Presence into your thoughts. As your mind stops racing, your body relaxes and you regain awareness of Me. This awareness is vital to your spiritual well-being; it is your lifeline, spiritually speaking.

There are actually more than four dimensions in this world where you live. In addition to the three dimensions of space and the one of time, there is the dimension of openness to My Presence. This dimension transcends the others, giving you glimpses of heaven while you still reside on earth. This was part of My original design for mankind. Adam and Eve used to walk with Me in the garden, before their expulsion from Eden. I want you to walk with Me in the garden of your heart, where I have taken up permanent residence.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
—Genesis 3:8

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.
—Psalm 89:15"

Apparently so .....His word slices right through any matter to the heart of a person....listen...listen...listen...rest in Me...accounting or whatever in the deepness of night is not resting or renewing....is just plain worrying ....sin....of not relying on Him...

Okay, okay. Okay..Please....help me to do better in this area...

Friday, May 23, 2014

News from missionaries .....

News from missionaries.....


"The other day some friends stopped by as I was in the middle of building a fire. I felt guilty as I looked at the bucket of coal and the box full of kindling beside our stove. Last time I visited their house they were feeding their fire with cardboard boxes. Unemployment in........... looks like a pile of cardboard boxes beside the fire place, it looks like a bowl of tea the color of dish water instead of milky ivory. It looks like a plate piled high with coarse homemade flour noodles and only one or two insignificant flecks of meat showing. It looks like small tabs at all the local shops, and relationships with friends that have been terminated over ten dollar loans that never got paid."


I received this missive from a missionary friend.  They live very simply in another country.  The people have low employment, living on day work when it is available, maybe loading a truck or making bricks or whatever they can find...

When I look around me, a small house by US standards, a mansion by world standards ...I am not collecting cardboard to keep warm or cook with, I have meat/food in my freezer, running water on demand, fuel for my car, a hospital down the street, entertainment abounding.....Abundance....but within a few blocks there are those who face the same as these people on foreign soil...

Our world goes from extreme poverty to opulent abundance with all the gradations in between...with some populations starving and others throwing away food...we have beggars on the corners, mansions on hills, tents and handouts, $1000 jeans and malls, thrift stores and day old bakeries/dumpster diving...those who want to work and those who don't.....the givers and takers....in every culture...

Just because you are a Christian doesn't guarantee wealth or poverty...it seems there will always be both...but we have hope in Christ...which far exceeds the riches or poverty the world offers...

I want to be found trustworthy in handling true riches ......and open to the calling of giving....thank YOU for Your provision of True riches through Christ...may I use what You have given wisely...

Luke 16:11
So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?

Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

Ephesians 1:18
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.

Ephesians 2:7
in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:8
Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,

Ephesians 3:16
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:27
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 2:2
My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Guarding....

Guarding....


Nahum 2:1
 An attacker advances against you, .... Guard the fortress, watch the road, brace yourselves, marshal all your strength!

There are days when I feel like I am living this verse in Nahum. He was warning against an attack on Nineveh, but it could just as easily been  me or those around me, relentless attack.....guarding myself, my emotions, I am bracing myself against the inevitable, gathering all my strength, prayer partners...against an attitude, a change, a force, a personality, a rumor,  a sin, a peace taker, etc, etc. Etc...

I feel like I have to do it alone...but no, I don't ....as much as I feel alone, I am not, as Jesus never leaves me or forsakes me, there are those who will stand with me....
God's  strength comes through ..in my weakness...He is the true guardian....the Holy
Spirit guides,whispering truth...to my beaten and longing soul...building up the fortress...guarding His own...thank YOU....


Matthew 16:6
“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Mark 13:33
Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 24:12
If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:12
That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

My wall....


My wall...

When I wake up each morning or night,  the light shows my wall on the other side of the room. It has four trees silhouetted with the word, serenity, amongst the trunks. I had this wall in my previous house as well and when I moved, I needed this reminder again...serenity...that calmness of the reminder of rustling leaves In the wind, birds singing, tranquility in the storms of life...

"Serenity  hides in life's little moments..."

"Serenity is an inside job..."

"se·ren·i·ty  [suh-ren-i-tee]  Show IPA
noun, plural se·ren·i·ties for 2.
1.
the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; sereneness......

Synonyms
1. composure, calm, peacefulness, peace.

Antonyms
1. agitation.
Dictionary.com Unabridged "

It is a desire of mine to portray that calmness, that serenity, that peace...but it doesn't all the time....I find myself in the drama mode many times, not keeping the calmness...contentedness....the peace that passes all understanding ...feeding the drama of life instead....not going immediately to prayer....but contemplating, agitating, the opposite until God draws me back to the wall...the serenity...the handing over of the burdens...to His broad shoulders...away from my failing and weak ones...

We may have all heard the Serenity Prayer, if not, it bears repeating....

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference --Reinhold Niebuhr"


Thank YOU for serenity...the calmness .....may I hold on to Your hand, Your promises,, more and more each day...seeking Your will...

Psalm 107:29-31
New International Version (NIV)
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
    the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
    and he guided them to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

Psalm 131:2
But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content...

Proverbs 15:18
A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.

Proverbs 29:11
Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.

Ecclesiastes 10:4
If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest.

Luke 8:24
The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.




http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WN8BFBE9HL0/S8GElrWCHYI/AAAAAAAAA1w/rnksRL8x4Lk/s1600/serenity-prayer-and-sea-sunset1.jpg

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Hand therapy....

Hand therapy.....

Yesterday, I started hand therapy..after a year and  a half of pain, shots, surgery  and casts of different sizes...there are "Nearly 35 muscles move the hand. 17 muscles move the palm section of the hand. 18 muscles assist with moving the forearm in the hand. There are also 48 nerves in the hand.
Reference: www.eatonhand.com"

We are so intricately and wonderfully made....it is hard to fathom, until we have to work one muscle group over another, or don't have the use of some we take for granted...large or small..

When you read through some information, the author talk about the "evolutionary" process of our bodies...I just have to think, how did they get from point a to point b? It makes so much more sense to say that we were created this way, than coming up through the ranks of animal life to what we are....God made us...it wasn't just a big mistake over millions of years....

I have to relearn how to use those fine muscles that do soooo very much. Just the angle of the thumb uses different muscles correctly or incorrectly.. It is interesting, frustrating, painful all wrapped into one..to get back correct function...but worth the effort....

Kind of like working with people, functioning well as families, churches...it takes time, effort and sometimes pain...to build one another, to grow and exercise our particular place being guided by the Creator..the Author and Finisher of our faith...we can choose to follow the directions, exercises and gain the best or we can choose to not exercise, not follow God's plan and be immobilized.

As painful as it is, I want to grow.  I want to be the best I can be...I want to follow the directions, follow the plan...in this hand therapy and in life with my God...

Thank YOU for your pictures again and and again of Your guiding in my life...You give the directions, the vision, the Word to follow....

Wikipedia.org-Fingers are some of the densest areas of nerve endings on the body, are the richest source of tactile feedback, and have the greatest positioning capability of the body; thus the sense of touch is intimately associated with hands. Like other paired organs (eyes, feet, legs), each hand is dominantly controlled by the opposing brain hemisphere, so that handedness, or the preferred hand choice for single-handed activities such as writing with a pencil, reflects individual brain functioning.

The human hand has 27 bones, not including the sesamoid bone, the number of which varies between people. 14 of which are the phalanges (proximal, intermediate and distal) of the fingers. The metacarpals are the bones that connects the fingers and the wrist. Each human hand has 5 metacarpals and 8 carpal bones.



http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-extrinsic-muscles-of-the-wrist-and-hand.html

Monday, May 19, 2014

Happily ever after.....

happily ever after....

In  church, our pastor is working through a series on marriage.  They even had a seminar for married couples on communication...

Points
-unity, commitment
-friendship, consideration
-work together, collaboration
-intimacy, courtship/romance
-family, communication
-holiness, Christ

Being a widow, it seems weird sometimes to be sitting there listening to lessons on marriage...on the other hand, it is good reflect back and see how we would have scored on scale of 1-5.  One being weak and five, being strong in those characteristics...how did we do marriage?  Were we unified....were we friends....did we work together....did we maintain  intimacy or courtship through 43 + years....did we have good family communication....did we have an attitude of holiness....????

Our scale would probably move from time to time...ours wasn't the perfect marriage...we worked on it over the years...it wasn't the worst marriage either...perfection doesn't come until heaven...

I miss the unity, the friendship , the working together, the intimacy/courtship, the communication, the holiness of matrimony...it went by so quickly.....poof, a vapor

Now, a new relationship is in place....that of having a husband in God...He promises to be a husband to the widows...so I have to work at the unity, the friendship, the collaboration, the intimacy, the communication, the holiness....His is perfect 5 and mine is coming along...a growing  awareness that He is accessible all the time, not just for mornings, tea, evenings..He fulfills the void created by the death of a spouse..

He created us for fellowship, unity, collaboration, intimacy, communication  and holiness...

So even though the services are about marriage of couples, He speaks to me also...what is my scale 1-5,  where do I need to improve my skills in this new relationship....this is an ongoing relationship...ongoing growth...ongoing awareness ....

Thank YOU for lessons on marriage on all levels! for the newlyweds, the ones   with small children, the ones with teens, the empty-nesters, all marriages, all ages.  Your word speaks to all of us no matter where we are in life...

Matthew 19:5-6
New International Version (NIV)
5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[a]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Ephesians 4:2
New International Version (NIV)
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Ecclesiastes 4:9
The Message (MSG)
9-10 It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.
Share the work, share the wealth.
And if one falls down, the other helps,
But if there’s no one to help, tough!

Ecclesiastes 9:9a
New International Version (NIV)
9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love,....

Proverbs 13:17b
Living Bible (TLB)
17.....Reliable communication permits progress.

Philippians 2:5
New International Version (NIV)
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:



Sunday, May 18, 2014

Rain...in the night...

Rain....

Last night the rain came....had a hard time sleeping as the rain gutter is outside my bedroom....but the rain sounded nice and will help those crops to grow, as well as bring the spring weeds...

Can you imagine what it was like with no vegetation...no rain....the barrenness in the beginning...?

Genesis 2:5a
Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth......

Or this verse.....that is what it is like this morning, the air is crystal clear with brilliant sunshine....after the rain...

2 Samuel 23:4
he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’

There are numerous references to rain throughout the Bible...some negative and others, positive...

I so appreciate the positive ones...the ones holding promises, provision ....care for us ....the earth....especially in the season when we are in drought conditions in different parts of the country...

I appreciate His promises of faithfulness, supplying our needs...it may through rain or other paths...never to leave us or forsake those whom He loves....

Thank YOU for the rain, the brilliance after the rain, whispers of care as the winds blow, the weather that You have created for our good use....

Job 5:10
He provides rain for the earth; he sends water on the countryside.

Psalm 147:8
He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.

Hosea 6:3
Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Joel 2:23
Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

Zechariah 10:1
[ The Lord Will Care for Judah ] Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.

Matthew 5:45
that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Lettuce....let us....

Lettuce....let us....

There are a lot of "let us" in the New Testament.   When I come upon those, it is like a personal statement.  Let's do this together.....no alone...someone is going through this with me or along with me...which is so comforting...

The shepherds---
Luke 2:15
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Jesus---
Luke 8:22
[ Jesus Calms the Storm ] One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out.

John 11:14-15
New International Version (NIV)
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Paul---
Acts 15:36
[ Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas ] Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”

Romans 13:13
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

Romans 14:13
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.

Romans 14:19
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Galatians 5:25
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Galatians 5:26
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Philippians 3:16
Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

1 Thessalonians 5:8
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

2 Thessalonians 2:2
not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.

The author oF Hebrews ----
Hebrews 4:1
[ A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God ] Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

Hebrews 4:11
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Hebrews 4:14
[ Jesus the Great High Priest ] Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 6:1
Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

Hebrews 10:22
let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

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

Hebrews 13:15
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

John--
1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1 John 4:7
[ God’s Love and Ours ] Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Revelation 19:7
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

Yes, there are a lot of "let us's" in there...but we are in a company of others to go along with us...so "let us" move forward...together...


Thank YOU that you are our helper... Our companion...and You give us others to,walk with...

Friday, May 16, 2014

One last call.....

One last call....


Every day, I have a miniature reminder of the 911 memorial . Three little oak trees sit on my window sill by my kitchen sink, growing their leafy greenery for most of the year, losing them in the fall just like their counterparts in New York City.  They started as acorns picked up off the ground by the pool at the 911  site...

Yesterday was the dedication of the museum and I had to pause again thinking of that historic day..where I was, what happened to our country, to the families involved....we were all involved with our hearts, emotions, glued to the tv to see over and over the destruction of buildings, of peoples live, families...then the following days, looking for survivors, finally looking for remains, clues, bit and pieces, salvaging anything....

They say the new memorial starts with that "one last call" from someone on a plane...how many "last calls" were made to distraught families?   How many families waited, wondering if their loved one had made the plane, had gotten to work, were rescued...The rescuers, so many from the fire New York cities departments, became part of the victims as well...they gave to the end...

The memorial even included the metal cross, a sign of hope....the American flag which the recovery team flew, a bicycle rack with unclaimed bikes, a fire truck, empty shoes, thousands  of pieces of memories....tissues for tears ....many exit doors for those who can't go on....

This week it is open for families who were directly effected by this terror attack...and then finally open to the public later...

My prayer is that the families will have closure, be comforted by the sights and sounds of this awful time...that they will comforted even by the memories of their loved ones....we as a nation need it as well...that the cross, as controversial as it has been thru the ages will draw them to Christ, the true comforter.....

Thank YOU for the creativity that has brought this memorial to fruition....Your help to each person involved...Your symbol stands, hearts are touched....may each look to YOU ...be drawn to YOU...through it all....

Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

John 14:1
[ Jesus Comforts His Disciples ] “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Praise to the God of All Comfort

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.


http://video.foxnews.com/v/3569569058001/inside-the-september-11-memorial-museum/#sp=show-clips

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sJuGWJdCZDw

youtube 911 memorial

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Philippians...

Philippians...

I love the book of Philippians...it is so filled with joy and encouragement....

" I pray with joy"
"I have you in my heart"
"Confident"
"Completion"
"Love may abound"
" continue to rejoice"
"Eagerly expect and hope"
"Suffer?"

Oh no, not suffer after all that joy...after all he is writing this from prison...but as my notes say, " joy comes from the internal confidence that God is in control".  Do I really believe that or do I just mouth it???   Do I walk the talk?  Does my life exhibit those beliefs?  No, not all the time...

I have in my margins of this passage, the date when i was taking c are of my mother after her stroke...it was a hard time,seeing her so helpless for a season...but determined to press forward...she exercised diligently to regain hand function, physical strength so that she could life normally again and get back her drivers license!

I was also helping my father straighten out his paperwork into files rather than cardboard boxes in the closet...
So we were all busy...living and encouraging one another...we wanted that confidence, that rejoicing, that hope...after the suffering....it was a training ground for future events...

Thank You for joy in times of "imprisonment", lessons of life through suffering...

Philippians 1
New International Version (NIV)
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons[a]:

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Paul’s Chains Advance the Gospel

12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.

Life Worthy of the Gospel

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Peeling skin.....

Peeling skin....

I had my cast removed yesterday after 6 weeks...now for hand therapy...it is amazing how fast your body atrophies from non use.   Can barely move wrist in any direction....plus there is a layer skin that covers the whole casted area that is coming off, replenishing it with new tender skin....everywhere I go, I leave a trail of peeled off skin...our bodies are so amazingly made...

Looking at my peeling skin, I wondered how the people of Israel felt about their skin if they contracted unclean skin through time and the laws that talked about it...the book if Leviticus talks about showing yourself to the priest for examination ....or when Jesus healed the lepers...they were headed for examination of their skin...

The in 2 Kings, we read about Naaman, the opposition, who went to see
Elisha about his skin problems.....and Elisha's servant, Gehazi..with his ramifications...

"The skin is the largest organ of the body, with a total area of about 20 square feet. The skin protects us from microbes and the elements, helps regulate body temperature, and permits the sensations of touch, heat, and cold.
Skin has three layers:
The epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, provides a waterproof barrier and creates our skin tone.
The dermis, beneath the epidermis, contains tough connective tissue, hair follicles, and sweat glands.
The deeper subcutaneous tissue (hypodermis) is made of fat and connective tissue.
The skin’s color is created by special cells called melanocytes, which produce the pigment melanin. Melanocytes are located in the epidermis." Web med...

Our bodies were created so intricately....everything has a purpose...no surprises...no  "it happened by mistake"... All by Divine design and care...

Thank YOU, that made us ....we are fearfully and wonderfully made...

Leviticus 13:20-22
New International Version (NIV)
20 The priest is to examine it, and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce that person unclean. It is a defiling skin disease that has broken out where the boil was. 21 But if, when the priest examines it, there is no white hair in it and it is not more than skin deep and has faded, then the priest is to isolate them for seven days. 22 If it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce them unclean; it is a defiling disease.

2 Kings 5
New International Version (NIV)
Naaman Healed of Leprosy

5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.[a]

2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents[b] of silver, six thousand shekels[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18 But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”

19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said.

After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.

22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent[d] of silver and two sets of clothing.’”

23 “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.

25 When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”

“Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.

26 But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? 27 Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.


Job 10:10-12
New International Version (NIV)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life and showed me kindness,
    and in your providence watched over my spirit.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Mothers....

Mothers ......


I found lots of quizzes about Mothers in the Bible.....here are a few....fun to try our knowledge .....


http://biblequizzes.org.uk/quiz.php?mothersinthebible

http://quiz.christiansunite.com/Women_in_the_Bible/Mothers_of_the_Bible.shtml

http://akidsheart.com/holidays/mday/bibmom.htm

http://members.cogwa.org/godly-women-blog/for-mothers-day-mothers-of-the-bible-quiz/

Looking up the history of Mother's Day, I found it to be first mentioned in ancient Egyptian customs....and coming down through the ages...and here I thought it was an American day...especially celebrated by floral companies...

But, I just wanted to say that I have God to thank for making me a mother...He truly bestowed good gifts when He gave me my children...I have loved watching them grow to the wonderful adults they are...each uniquely gifted and blessed...

I thank God also for the mother He gave me...

Thank YOU...

Genesis 30:20a
Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. .....

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





History of American Celebration
When the first English settlers came to America, they discontinued the tradition of Mothering Day. While the British holiday would live on, the American Mother’s Day would be invented — with an entirely new history — centuries later. One explanation for the settlers’ discontinuation of Mothering Day was that they just didn’t have time; they lived under harsh conditions and were forced to work long hours in order to survive. Another possibility, however, is that Mothering Day conflicted with their Puritan ideals. Fleeing England to practice a more conservative Christianity without being persecuted, the pilgrims ignored the more secular holidays, focusing instead on a no-frills devotion to God. For example, even holidays such as Christmas and Easter were more somber occasions for the pilgrims, usually taking place in a Church that was stripped of all extraneous ornamentation.

Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation of 1870
The first North American Mother’s Day was conceptualized with Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870.

Despite having penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic twelve years earlier, Howe had become so distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War that she called on Mother’s to come together and protest what she saw as the futility of their Sons killing the Sons of other Mothers.

With the following, she called for an international Mother's Day celebrating peace and motherhood:
Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise all women who have hearts,
Whether your baptism be that of water or of tears
Say firmly:

"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands shall not come to us reeking of carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of
charity, mercy and patience.

"We women of one country
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
 
From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says, "Disarm, Disarm!"
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice!
Blood does not wipe out dishonor
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have of ten forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war.

Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.

Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God.

In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions.
The great and general interests of peace.

The Rise & Fall of Howe's Mother's Day
At one point Howe even proposed converting July 4th into Mother’s Day, in order to dedicate the nation’s anniversary to peace. Eventually, however, June 2nd was designated for the celebration.

In 1873 women’s groups in 18 North American cities observed this new Mother’s holiday. Howe initially funded many of these celebrations, but most of them died out once she stopped footing the bill. The city of Boston, however, would continue celebrating Howe’s holiday for 10 more years.

Despite the decided failure of her holiday, Howe had nevertheless planted the seed that would blossom into what we know as Mother’s Day today. A West Virginia women’s group led by Anna Reeves Jarvis began to celebrate an adaptation of Howe’s holiday. In order to re-unite families and neighbors that had been divided between the Union and Confederate sides of the Civil War, the group held a Mother’s Friendship Day.

Anna M. Jarvis's Mother's Day in 1908

After Anna Reeves Jarvis died, her daughter Anna M. Jarvis campaigned for the creation of an official Mother’s Day in remembrance of her mother and in honor of peace.

In 1908, Anna petitioned the superintendent of the church where her Mother had spent over 20 years teaching Sunday School. Her request was honored, and on May 10, 1908, the first official Mother's Day celebration took place at Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia and a church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The West Virginia event drew a congregation of 407 and Anna Jarvis arranged for white carnations — her Mother’s favorite flower — to adorn the patrons. Two carnations were given to every Mother in attendance.

Today, white carnations are used to honor deceased Mothers, while pink or red carnations pay tribute to Mothers who are still alive.

Andrew's Methodist Church was incorporated into the International Mother’s Day Shrine in the late 1960's, and in 1992, became a National Historic Landmark for its significance in the establishment of a national Mother's Day celebration.

US Government Adoption
In 1908 a U.S. Senator from Nebraska, Elmer Burkett, proposed making Mother's Day a national holiday at the request of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). The proposal was defeated, but by 1909 forty-six states were holding Mother's Day services as well as parts of Canada and Mexico.

Anna Jarvis quit working and devoted herself full time to the creation of Mother's Day, endlessly petitioning state governments, business leaders, women groups, churches and other institutions and organizations. She finally convinced the World's Sunday School Association to back her, a key influence over state legislators and congress. In 1912 West Virginia became the first state to officially recognize Mother's Day, and in 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed it into national observance, declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

The Fight Over Commercialization
The holiday flourished in the United States. Flowers, especially white carnations, became a very popular part of the celebration. One business journal, Florists Review, went so far as to print, “This was a holiday that could be exploited.” But the budding commercialization of Mother's Day greatly disturbed Jarvis, who vociferously opposed what she perceived as a misuse of the holiday.

In 1923 Jarvis sued to stop a Mother’s Day event. In the 1930's she was arrested for disturbing the peace at the American War Mothers group: She was protesting their sale of flowers. Jarvis also petitioned against a postage stamp featuring her Mother with a vase of white carnations and the word “Mother’s Day.” Jarvis was able to have the words “Mother’s Day” removed ... but the flowers remained.

In 1938, Time Magazine ran an article about Jarvis's fight to copyright Mother's Day, but by then it was already too late to change the commercial trend.


In opposition to the flower industry’s exploitation of the holiday, Jarvis wrote, “What will you do to route charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations?” Despite her efforts, flower sales on Mother's Day continued to grow. Florist's Review wrote, “Miss Jarvis was completely squelched.”

Anna Jarvis died in 1948, blind, poor and childless. Jarvis would never know that it was, ironically, The Florist's Exchange that had anonymously paid for her care.

Worldwide Spread of Mother's Days

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Above all...

Above all...


Two years ago this was the song I woke up to...all of our family was exhausted. We had been and were sorting, dividing, packing, tossing, non-stop. With visitors coming and going...
And then the devotional was, "do not resist or run from the difficulties in your life....thank Me for the difficulties"

I was having a hard time thanking God for those difficulties......and wrote it out...was thankful for all the support during that time for our family and Don's peaceful and painless passing....but had a hard time saying thanks for his death....and the reason for us doing that sorting, packing...married life was over, our dreams and plans were gone, grandparenting as a pair was over....I was a widow, my children were fatherless....our business  was undergoing changes.....and I was supposed to be thankful......give me a break.....

The memorial service was planned for the following day....and friends from far and near rallied to serve us, honor Don, love us, to a packed house...I was thankful for that...smiles, tears, laughter, remembrances, songs, prayers .....all,those good things....I just was having difficulty being thankful for the reason of the gathering...Don would have loved all the people...but he wasn't there to enjoy it....

So I come up against another Mother's Day without the father of our children with wonderful memories....and difficulty in saying thanks...but I do..it is the right attitude, even when it hurts...tears again...even the Question, "why?"...not so strongly, more peaceful, changing, renewing, being molded into someone new again...

I talk to God a lot more now...He guides, answers, comforts ....quietly..

Thank YOU that you are Above All...

Michael W. Smith – Above All Lyrics
Send "Above All" Ringtone to your Cell
Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what you're worth

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone

Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what you're worth

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone

Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone

Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Friday, May 9, 2014

Say what?.....

Say what?

There moments in our lives that have us wondering..."what, say that again"

You've got cancer...
You won't be able to speak...
You are going to lead these millions of people put of bondage...
I will make you a father of nations...
I will make you a mother of the Saviour.....
Your going to have triplets.....
Your husband has been shot....
There has been an accident....
Your mother/father has had a stroke....
He has terminal depression...
You got straight a's....
You have been accepted to....
Will you marry me....
Your child has ....
Your house was hit by a.....
He has been found....
You have won the lottery....
I forgive you....
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.

And we do a double take again and again....those curve balls...some hard to face and others, exhilaration....

Trust.....the little five letter word...so little, yet so big of a concept That we have the opportunity to hear it, feel it, learn it for a life time...each new curve In the road of life seems to highlight that thought of "trust".. We can fight it and reach for our own way or we can wait on that overpowering peace of trust in the midst of good and "unplanned".

 I don't like curve balls, they are unexpected, chancy, and throw me out of my routine...I like steady, known, planned...but, some of those surprises bring life lessons I wouldn't have learned otherwise, even though hard....and some are totally awe inspiring and blessings from the beginning...all planned by a loving God who wants us to look first to Him and rest in His assurances that He cares...and wants what is best for our lives...our earthly journey .....

Thank You, even in those curve balls of life, sometimes it is so hard to trust....I know that You are bringing me to that place again and again...resting in Your presence...

Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Psalm 31:14
But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.”

Psalm 32:10
Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.

Psalm 40:3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.

Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.


"Jesus calling-Trust Me, and watch to see what I will do."

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
—Romans 8:28

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
—Micah 7:7


A song to rest in...
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gpIUMYLbkEA




Thursday, May 8, 2014

bio of Tim Conway....

Bio of Tim Conway.....

I started reading a biography of Tim Conway. In the Preface, the author stated that he was "genuine", "a gentleman", "cheerful", and didn't put others down to make a joke..

I found that interesting...having remembered him in movies with Don Knox...we didn't get the Carol Burnett show, in which he played...you can still get Youtube of select vignettes...of some of his comedy...laughter is good...

When I started reading my devotionals this am, the message was similar..."who do we look to for an example" or "what kind of example am I"...

What do I look to others to emulate?  How can I be a good example to family, friends, anyone....? What are my attitudes, my words, my actions?  Are they worthy of a child of the King of Kings?

 A long time ago, for Mother's Day , one of my children gave me the recording of "You are my Hero". We cried together..I still cry when I hear the song...we were going through some rough times....we don't start out desiring to be heroes...we live life....hopefully Godly lives before others...but focusing on the true Light, Example of Christ...

I look at my children now, living their lives before others, their children...and I see so much growth, caring, the Holy Spirit working in each....what a delight !!!!

thank YOU for the Example, but also for the life changing Gift of Yourself  in me, my family, my friends, those whose lives I bump into everyday...May they see YOU in me....for Your life changing gift....

"Children listen to and watch their parents for clues about how to live and behave. Paul said, "Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). Rely on Him to empower you to live an authentically righteous life before your children. When you seek Christ daily through prayer and His Word, you will change and be strengthened. You will be able to set a godly example for your children to follow, no matter your past or your family's past.

—Excerpt from "Stand Firm""

Look at Us!
Daily Devotional for May 8
From the Writings of Ray Stedman
 
From your friends at
www.RayStedman.org
Read the Scripture: Acts 3:1-10

Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, Look at us! Acts 3:4

Here was this man waiting at the gate of the temple. The striking thing about this is that when he asked alms of Peter, Peter stopped, and said to him, Look at us. This is very important, because it is right in line with the activities of Jesus whenever he wanted to heal anyone. He never walked up to someone and merely touched him and healed him, without first directing his attention to himself. He always captivated the attention of the individuals he wanted to heal, directed them to focus their gaze upon him. The reason is that this arouses a sense of expectation. It always quickens faith. This is what happened here. This man expected to receive something from Peter and John. He did not know what he was going to get, but his faith was quickened by Peter's words. This is very necessary in order to receive anything from God. You must expect something from him.

One of the reasons why there are people who attend church but whose lives are hardly any different than when they first came, is that they have never given their attention to God. They have never expected to receive anything when they came. Unfortunately there are those, young and old alike, who turn off their minds when they get into a church service. They start thinking of all kinds of other things, start taking mental trips and playing mental games. I have always thought it would be most interesting after service to know where everyone had been! But unfortunately, the life-changing truth that goes out from the Scriptures misses them, passes right by, and they can sit here for years and never be changed.

There are young people who have been raised in church, but who are no different, exhibit no evidence that God is at work. This is largely because they never have heard that word, Look at me, and paid attention. This is why Jesus always said to the crowds to which he preached, He who has ears, let him hear... (Matthew 11:15) Let him listen. This is always necessary for the working of faith.

The minute Peter had this man's attention, he did two things which are most interesting: First, he admitted his bankruptcy in the material realm: Silver or gold I do not have, he said. That's what you are looking for, but I can't help you there. He then demonstrated his amazing adequacy in the spiritual realm: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. In that electric moment, as this man was looking at Peter and John, and heard these words, at the mention of the name of Jesus something remarkable happened. Strength came flowing into his ankles, and Peter, sensing it, took him by the right hand and lifted him up. The man rose and began to leap and shout and jump around, trying out this new found strength in his legs which he had never known, because he was lame from birth.

Father, thank you for the name of Jesus. It has lost none of its power. It is still transforming men and women, as it always has — and not only spiritually, but occasionally physically. Thank you for those demonstrations of your power yet today. We know that you can change a sick and ailing body and make it well. But also you can take a sick and ailing spirit and make it whole.

Life Application: When people look at us are they drawn to the power and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we purposefully divert their attention and expectation from us to Him?

Related Message: This daily devotional was inspired by one of Ray's messages. Please read "Power to Heal" or listen to Ray for more on this portion of scripture.

Devotions for May from Acts
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Copyright © 2014 by Ray Stedman Ministries — This daily devotion is from the book Immeasurably More: a year of devotions from the writings of Ray Stedman; compiled by Mark Mitchell. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice and a hyperlink to www.RayStedman.org if the copy is posted on the Internet.


"You Are My Hero"

Ohhhh, oh, oh, oh, ohhh.
It must have been cold there in my shadow,
to never have sunlight on your face.
You were content to let me shine, that's your way.
You always walked a step behind.

So I was the one with all the glory,
while you were the one with all the strain.
A beautiful face without a name for so long.
A beautiful smile to hide the pain.

Did you ever know that you're my hero,
and everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle,
for you are the wind beneath my wings.

It might have appeared to go unnoticed,
but I've got it all here in my heart.
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.
I would be nothing without you.

Did you ever know that you're my hero?
You're everything I wish I could be.
I could fly higher than an eagle,
for you are the wind beneath my wings.

Did I ever tell you you're my hero?
You're everything, everything I wish I could be.
Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle,
for you are the wind beneath my wings,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

Oh, the wind beneath my wings.
You, you, you, you are the wind beneath my wings.
Fly, fly, fly away. You let me fly so high.
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.

Fly, fly, fly high against the sky,
so high I almost touch the sky.
Thank you, thank you,
thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings.

 Send "You Are My Hero" Ringtone to your Cell

Bette Midler lyrics

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Lost keys.....

Lost things.....

The humorous joke at the end of this writing struck me this morning....lost keys....
About 90% of the mornings all of our married life, my husband hunted for his keys...we tried special places to put them.....key racks .....baskets,...etc, etc, etc...with no success....he would breeze into our home, put them down and go on with life....and then hunt for them the next morning....they could  be anywhere, the truck, pockets, pants, briefcase, dresser, desk,  on the floor next to the door, in the garage, night stand.....you name it...somewhere....and each morning was a repeat of the last, hunting for keys....funny little memories....I wonder what he would have written about my idiosyncrasies...

Lostness.....and being found....we fit into that category....i am like those lost  sheep...needing a shepherd...we all do...I am so glad that
God knows where we are, knows our needs all the time, and searches for us when we have wondered off....pursuing...seeking...not forgotten... Then shepherds us into the flock...binds up our wounds....strengthens,.....Rejoices over our return .....our  homecoming....

thank YOU, that you seek us when we are lost or have gone astray....You rejoice ....over me...You shepherd, comfort, care for,....me....that is so beyond comprehension....that each of us is so valuable to You, the Creator of the universe...


1 Samuel 9:20
As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”

Psalm 119:176
I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

Jeremiah 50:6
“My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.

Ezekiel 34:16
I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, ............I will shepherd the flock with justice.

Luke 15
New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Lost Son

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”


A little humor-"The Lost Keys...
After a meeting several days ago, I couldn't find my keys.

I quickly gave myself a personal "TSA Pat Down."
They weren't in my pockets.

Suddenly I realized I must have left them in the car.  Frantically, I headed for the parking lot.   My husband has scolded me many times for leaving my keys in the car's ignition.

   He's afraid that the car could be stolen.   As I looked around the parking lot, I realized he was right.   The parking lot was empty. I immediately called the police. I gave them my location, confessed that I had left my keys in the car, and that it had been stolen.

Then I made the most difficult call of all to my husband:

"I left my keys in the car and it's been stolen."

There was a moment of silence. I thought the call had been disconnected, but then I heard his voice."Are you kidding me?" he barked, "I dropped you off!"

Now it was my turn to be silent.

 Embarrassed, I said, "Well, come and get me."

He retorted, "I will, as soon as I convince this cop that I didn't steal your car!" Welcome to the golden years.............."






















Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Checklists.....

Check lists.....

I was awake, working on lists, last night of things I "need" to get done...check on, check off, etc. etc. etc....then I woke up to this devo from Jesus Calling....had to chuckle...again at reminders that checklists needn't run my life....I need them to remember, but not control....

Thank YOU for Your reminders even before I knew that I needed them....You know me so well....

Jesus calling---May 6

Do not search for security in the world you inhabit. You tend to make mental checklists of things you need to do in order to gain control of your life. If only you could check everything off your list, you could relax and be at peace. But the more you work to accomplish that goal, the more things crop up on your list. The harder you try, the more frustrated you become.

There is a better way to find security in this life. Instead of scrutinizing your checklist, focus your attention on My Presence with you. This continual contact with Me will keep you in My Peace. Moreover, I will help you sort out what is important and what is not, what needs to be done now and what does not. Fix your eyes not on what is seen (your circumstances), but on what is unseen (My Presence).

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
—Isaiah 26:3 nkjv

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
—2 Corinthians 4:18

Monday, May 5, 2014

Fields of lambs....

Fields of lambs....


Driving so much these last few weeks, seeing spring emerge  from the cold winter snows and rains has been fun, the flowers, the trees, and the animals...new gangly colts,  baby calves snuggled into the hay tossed by the ranchers...new lambs galloping in groups around the fields....baby goats playing king of the mountain....baby ducks swimming in formation in the various pools at Disneyland ....baby chicks, turkeys, quail at the local feed store....

When our children were little, we would make the yearly trek out into the country to see these spring time sights...and then we lived in the country and had our own menagerie to watch and care for...one of the cutest was a family of baby skunks ....the mother took the lead, followed by four tiny ones, about the size of a baseball, all with their tails straight up in the air with a tiny kink backward at the top, walking down the country road....we kept our distance on that group!!  Fawns hidden in the bushes by their mothers, bunnies hopping around or baby killdeer, looking like walking cotton balls on toothpicks...

It is all such a reminder that there is life after winter, joy after night, new beginnings...that life goes on...seasons for everything....thank YOU for new life.....


Leviticus 26:4
I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.

Psalm 1:3
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

Psalm 104:19
He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.

Ecclesiastes 3:1
[ A Time for Everything ] There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

Song of Songs 2:12
Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.

Jeremiah 5:24
They do not say to themselves, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’

Jeremiah 8:7
Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord.

Acts 14:17
Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Travel trailers...

Travel trailers....

This weekend  I had the opportunity and privilege to visit with friends and stay in their travel trailer...what memories came flooding into my mind....

We bought our first travel trailer when our oldest daughter was 9 months old to live in at a geology camp in NV....we had previously lived in a company one for summer jobs before children.

But our first purchased one was 19 feet long,with an open floor plan in the front and a full sized bed in the back with a separate entrance. The front had a table with a bunk overhead, small kitchen and bath facing one another....We actually lived in this miniature home on wheels for 1 1/2 years and then travelled in it for several years following....

I totally enjoyed it,....cleaning the floors took less that 5 minutes....no one could complain about "their room" as it was "our room"...my daughter learned to walk in it...I made children's clothes in the portable sewing area, ...kindergarten for our oldest.....everything was usually easily fixed,....no yard work...easily movable.....we camped in parks with lots of play room and / or a swimming pool.....we made memories...

After living in it, we travelled in it...the worlds fair in Vancouver, BC....across the United States  and back..50 wedding anniversaries, family gatherings, various geology jobs...even spending Christmas  with a garland shaped tree taped to the wall...it housed others as well....visitors, a family looking for a home...

Its final trip with our family was to Southern California to a "dude" ranch for employee housing....and there it stayed...

It gave us a place to lay our heads for years, to gather as a family in wonderfully "cramped " quarters....we did school work, played games, read bedtime stories,  prepared lots of family and company meals...

Abraham moved his family from place to place with tents and animals...

Moses moved the Israelite nation, following a cloud by night, fire by night...around the desert regions in the Middle East .....

They carried their belongings with them....in a different way than we did, but the same concept....they lived as they travelled, they made memories as well, their children grew up and learned .....they cleaned their tents, arranging to make it more habitable....their children's play areas, vast as well....

Learning contentment  along the way...living life...purpose....

Jesus went from town to town, preaching, teaching , discipling,,. And said He had "nowhere to lay His head"... No miniature home on wheels...we at least had a bad and pillow...

Colossians 4:10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.  11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Notes-life application Bible-4:10-14 Are you able to get along happily (be content) in any circumstances you face? Paul knew how to be satisfied whether he had plenty or whether he was in need. The secret was drawing on Christ’s power for strength. Do you have great needs, or are you dissatisfied because you don’t have what you want? Learn to rely on God’s promises and Christ’s power to help you be content. If you always want more, ask God to remove that desire and teach you how to be satisfied in every circumstance. He will supply all your needs, but in a way that he knows is best for you.

Thank YOU so much for enjoyable times,,,,family times, contentment.....