No connection....

For the last two to three months, I have never known for one minute to the next whether I will have Internet connection or not...one minute  I will have q connection and the next I will not ....the Internet service technicians have been more than helpful whenever I have called. They are available 24/7 and have tried to rectify the problem...even sending a serviceman to the house to check things out...I have called the  computer manufacturers who have spent hours updating both my programs and each computer...so every device is totally updated, but that hasn't helped the connectivity...

Now the Internet service and the manufacturers are blaming each other for the problem...which isn't really helpful to me...I even looked at my billing and my usage has been over half less recently because of the connectivity prproblems...so I know it is not just in my mind...so frustrating...over 16 hours on the phone talking to various people in the last two days...

So my last call yesterday was to the service again to talk about billing. The technician again tried to be helpful and I added that I was about to change service companies because of the problems I was having... "Oh, no, no, we will take this to another level and really work with you to keep you as a Customer". Well, here I am early this morning and no service again...

I am both frustrated and amused...it was yet another reminder of my connection and connectivity with the Creator of the universe...His connection is without failure...mine, on the other hand is intermittent ...I want my connection to be here all the time, but I let interruptions get in the way, the cares of the world, the disconnect, my attitude, my lack of attention, or whatever to block that connection...I desire to be connected all the time, but in reality I am not...He never disconnects and I know He is there all the time, waiting ever so patiently...Thank YOU....for giving ideas, love , counsel, wisdom...help my connection never to wander away, to look for another "service"...knowing that You never leave or forsake me...

Abide in me and I will abide in you...

John 15:4-8 Remain in me, as I also remain in you.
No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches.
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

A simple measuring tape....finishing well...

A simple measuring tape....finishing well...

as we arrived at church yesterday, we found a measuring tape in each chair...as church  progressed we took the tape in centimeters, found our corresponding age, torn off at that spot, threw it behind us ( those are years gone)...found how many years we "plan " to live to, tore off at that spot...throw those after away, "eternity", leaving us with the number of years we may have left to live.....I had 23 years if I live to be ninety...

The question was posed, " what am I going to do with that time left?" The piece of tape I hold I my hand...for whatever number of years I have left to live...we want to make it count ...for good, for God....will I be strong, faithful, brave, disciplined, hardworking, diligent, gentle...a follower of Jesus? As found in Paul's last letter, 2 Timothy .....

What a great object lesson..."finishing well"...one of my husband's last studies for himself...not knowing his time was shorter that we ever envisioned...he did finish well. Thanking visitors, enjoying others to the end...enabling those of us to continue on with his giving legacy, to remember him with joy and laughter.  He was strong in his faith, brave in facing his cancer, diligent in the vocation that God allowed, diligent in his witness to others, gentle to those around him....a follower of Christ as evidenced in his life and legacy...thank YOU for him in my life and in the lives of his children and others...

Now, four year after his passing, I ask the same question again, how do I finish well?  Carrying on with the path that God has mapped out for me...how did I fill out those potential years with strength in God, faithfulness to His Word, bravery in life, discipline, work for the Kingdom, diligence on the Walk, gentleness in service...Lead me in the way that I should go....

Thank YOU...for your Word,  your examples, your Way...

2 Timothy 2:2-26 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 

No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 

Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 

The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. 

This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. 

But God’s word is not chained. 

Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 

Here is a trustworthy saying:If we died with him,we will also live with him; if we endure,we will also reign with him.

If we disown him,he will also disown us; if we are faithless,he remains faithful,for he cannot disown himself. 

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. 

Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 

Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 

Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. 

They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” 

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 

Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 

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. 

Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 

Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. 

Chaos...

Chaos...

Watching the news, one would have the impression that our world has descended into chaos ....from politics to everyday lives, school yards to family rooms, governments to college campuses, from beaches to places of worship....world wide to the neighbor next door...where is the normalcy? Where is the kindness? Where is the love?

This little clip came across my computer this morning...here is cute, here is compassion..here is innocence...here is wonder...here is "did you see that" excitement...here is care...

http://www.coolestone.com/media/14642/Elementary-School-Makes-Way-for-Ducklings/#.V1ljqYhHaK0

Romans 2:9 Romans 1:29-32 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. 

They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. 

Amos 5:14-15a Seek good, not evil, that you may live.Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts....

John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

There is light in the chaos...thank YOU for Your light....Your path to peace in chaos...help us all to seek You, the true light...

"The best"

"The best"....

Two headline quotes popped out at me this morning on the Internet news...

" we've reached a milestone in America's history" Clinton

"The whole thing is a disgrace" Trump

I had just read John 1-2:11 when I read these headlines...enthralled again by John's many names for Jesus...then the "little" story of Jesus' first miracle, turning the water into Wine..."the best wine"...turning something  ordinary into the "best"...

Then I read the headlines and wondered how have we come so far from the ordinary and how can this be the "best"... in these fluid, turbulent times...my stomach churns at these times...how can this be? In one generation we have come from a God fearing country to scandal after scandal in leadership...

Jesus was born In a time of Roman "slavery" and yet he brought salvation to the world...he brought "the best" to all time..Himself entering into turbulent times...He does the same still throughout the ages...when I put my eyes on Him instead of circumstances...

That song, " turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full into His wonderful face...and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and Grace..."  fills my mind....peace like a River floods my soul...

Thank YOU for always bringing me back to Yourself...You are blessedly in control...

Psalm 37:1-7 Do not fret because of those who are evilor be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

 Trust in the Lord and do good;dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,your vindication like the noonday sun. 

Be still before the Lord And wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 

Matthew 5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ....

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

Isaiah 2:11 The eyes of the arrogant will be humbledand human pride brought low;the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. 

Plain brown....

Plain brown.....

One of my favorite  colors is brown...not all the time and not too much...but is is warm and inviting, comfortable...less a stark than black warmer than gray ...each color has its place and complementary colors...

But, I realized I was reverting to brown lately...a lot...which means I need to watch my moods and add color, blues, corals, yellows, greens ...to enhance my moods and thinking....not fall back into plain brown...

Our little city park a block from me was undergone several repairs in the few years I have been here.  For whatever reason, the rock work around columns have been an inviting thing to destroy. The park people have repaired the vandalism several times and finally took all the rocks off and  painted  the columns plain brown...no interesting texture, no nice stones...plain brown ....

So this morning, I took my camera with me when I walked, a habit I had abandoned...to find and focus on finding God's handprint for me today ...not just the plain brown I was floundering in...

He is so faithful...everything was a fingerprint, a creation spoken by Him...the new flowers, the sparkling sunshine on the lawns, the birds singing...the colors of the sunrise, the freshness of the air after a small rain....

Thank YOU for Your faithfulness,  your care, your love, your encouragement from the plain brown to the  wonder ....

Psalm 85:10-13 Love and faithfulness meet together;righteousness and peace kiss each other.

 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,and righteousness looks down from heaven. 

The Lord will indeed give what is good,and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before himand prepares the way for his steps. 

Psalm 8:1-9 Lord, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth!You have set your gloryin the heavens. 

Through the praise of children and infantsyou have established a stronghold against your enemies,to silence the foe and the avenger. 

When I consider your heavens,the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars,which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them,human beings that you care for them? 

You have made them a little lower than the angelsand crowned them with glory and honor. 

You made them rulers over the works of your hands;you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds,and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky,and the fish in the sea,all that swim the paths of the seas. 

Lord, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth! 

Intervention....

Intervention....

Noah

Abraham on the mountain 

Lot in Sodom  and Gommorah 

Moses

Joseph and his brothers

Ruth and Boaz 

Nehemiah 

Elijah in the hillside

Daniel in the lions den

Mary and Joseph 

The adulterous woman

Lazarus 

Paul and Silas in jail

The prodigal son..

Etc.

Etc.

Etc.

But not for Jesus on the cross after He prayed mightily...the legion of angels didn't come and rescue Him...no one stepped up to take His place, friends  betrayed, the soldiers mocked...Pilate washed his hands..the passersby mocked....Jesus died there...the heavens darkened, the curtain was rent for top to bottom, the earth shook, rocks split, the centurion acknowledged Whom He was..."the Son of God"...but no intervention ....that day....

Then, "up from the grave He arose..He Rose, hallelujah, Christ Arose"...the greatest divine intervention...the resurrection .... That we all may live ....

Thank YOU for intervening in my life...innumerable times both seen and unseen ...for intervening in the world...for giving us new life, second chances....

Playing in the water...

Playing in water...

One of the earliest memories I have is captured  in an old black and white photo.  It is of one my cousins and myself stark  naked playing in a round galvanized tub of water...looking at the picture, one can hear the giggles and laughter, the splashing of water, the running on the grass, the "here, standstill, let me take your picture" comment from the parent...a moment caught in time...such fun, joy of childhood...

One of my husband's first geology jobs after we were married was way out in the mountains near the Blackrock desert in Nevada...our only company was a band of wild horses who came into out camp for water...we lived in a 16 foot travel trailer on an old cabin site which had an artesian well bubbling out the earth, no power, a makeshift outhouse under an ancient partially dead Apple tree... My husband would do geology by day as I wondered around the mountains with him..or leave him in one spot and pick him up in another...the company gave us an old Scout to drive around it ( we never aspired to own one again), but it got us from pace to place covered with road dust boiling up through the floor...

All this to say, our "bathtubs" were two round galvanized tubs which we let fill during the day from the well...the sun would warm the water all day while we were gone, the horses drank from them as well, but what a luxury to have them to wash in at night... We were out there in our birthday suits as well, enjoying the cleaning, refreshing water after a long dusty day wandering the mountains...no one within 50 miles...

I was reminded of these pictures in time as my youngest grandson was captured playing in his  galvanized tub at his home this week in the summer heat...you can hear his  laughter in the smile he has on his face...what fun...what memories ....

It brought to mind Naaman in 2 Kings...a man inflicted with leprosy...told to go and dip in the river...he didn't want to ...and almost missed the blessing of the healing he wanted so desperately...he wanted a "mighty" show rather than a simple dunking...

But, God, doesn't have to do "mighty" signs to do his work...He can speak the word, and it is done...just like we didn't have to have an elaborate pool or bathtubs to enjoy...simple, usable, accessible for our our dunkings in the water...we were made just as clean and just as blessed by the provision...

God used the river to show His power in healing, brought a man and who knows how many to Himself through Naaman's testimony...freely given ...

Thank YOU for your provision, lessons....simple obedience in small galvanized tubs of water or a small river dunking....

 

2 Kings 5:1-19 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. 

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

Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “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 of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 

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.” 

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!” 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.” 

So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 

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.” 

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. 

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. 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’!” 

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. 

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.” 

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. “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. 

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.” 

"Go in peace,” Elisha said.