What thorns???...

What thorns???...

The question was, " has God ever given or allowed something painful in your life that you desperately wanted removed, but later wouldn't trade?" Kelly Minter in her study, "All things new".

Whoa...let me list the things...

Don't we all want  the perfect life, the perfect children, the perfect marriage, the perfect.....but since we are imperfect in an imperfect world, that just doesn't happen...

I watched the movie, "the Zookeepers Wife" recently after reading/ listening to the book. The horror of the falling of Warsaw, the horror of Jewish murders, the horror of the killing of innocents whether people or animals...evilness...but it brought out the strengths in people that they didn't know they had...

In Paul's case in 2 Corinthians, he gives glory to Christ who strengthens him in his weakness...he can glory in his thorn, because Christ worked through that pain to work good...a greater gain came by greater pain...

I know for a fact that I wouldn't want to repeat any of the pain that I have experienced, but my life has changed over the years drastically because of the pain...if has given me more empathy for a multitude of events in my life and those around me... I can give a hug or encouraging word to those who are experiencing those "thorns".  Christ is more real, more consuming than if I hadn't experienced pain...thank YOU...draw me closer...

Jeremiah 31:25 "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”


2 Corinthians 12:7-10 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Young mothers...

Young mothers...

I was a young mother once...and now I am an old mother...different tasks, different responsibilities, but still a mother...

I had the delight to watch a friend's two year old daughter this week...what energy, what antics..learning each other's languages...

("Bee goo"= pink juice..) why didn't I know that? She was rather frustrated that I didn't understand...but we made it...with smiles..

Anyway, it was fun while it lasted...makes me realize why God grants children while we are young...

It also reminded me of what some of the responsibilities are for older mothers...mentoring younger ones...not with a sit down, full blown Bible study, but with kindness, encouragement through the rougher times, a helping hand, a gentle touch...long suffering through the long nights of crying babies and sometimes "clueless" husbands...( I am not putting husbands down, but add wacky hormones, lack of sleep and it feels that way!!!!)
(Mine made the remark on the way home from the hospital, "well, that was easy!)🤔😧

But, another thing it reminded me of, was my striving to be the perfect mother at all times...what a fluke!  I laid that to rest over and over...but, had to rest in Christ, rely on Him to add peace...but it took many years and I wished I would have learned it sooner...(I am still learning it with different circumstances)..

Thank YOU...for all of your love during those younger years and the grace which you so freely bestowed...on my children, on my husband and on myself...

Titus 2:1, 3-5 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.
Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Psalm 145:18-19 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.—PSALM 36: 5

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.—2 CORINTHIANS 4: 17

Ready to bloom....

Ready to bloom....

Observing the yards as I walked early this morning, I realized that most of the plants,mttrss, flowers were  ready to bloom...the apple trees have tiny leaves, the blueberries and the flowering plums as well...the tulips are still in bud, the various iris are shooting up....even the dandelions are getting ready to bloom and send out their propagating seeds...getting ready to bloom...after a cold winters rest...show their brilliance and plumage to color the world around them...

And it will be spectacular!!!  God, I think, loves color, light, growth...and we get to be the recipients of His wonders all around us...

Thank YOU....

There are times, I wonder if I am ready to bloom as well...there has been various seasons of life when I have been blooming and other times in dormancy...each has a purpose...rest, growth, rejuvenation, produce, harvest...each needful for the soul...as the roots grow deeper, get more grounding, more nourishment ...to later bloom...to glorify the Creator in whatever garden he plants me...

The old saying, "bloom wherever you are planted" comes to mind...."wherever" is key...in a garden for passersby  to see or in a Secret garden...get ready to bloom...His glory...his mighty work...

Isaiah 35:1-2 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.

And the rest of Isaiah 35...

Genesis 2:9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Song of Songs 2:11-13a See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.....

Delight....

Delight...

For whatever reason, there is a woman at my water running class who calls me "delight". I don't know if she misheard me when we exchanged names or what...but she is always reminding me that I remind her of a song we used to sing in church about "delighting in Him"..what a  compliment as well as a "responsibility"!!! on my part...

I have corrected her about the name, but she smiles and blithely says, she knows, but I am still "Delight" to her ...so the name still holds...

While reading proverbs this morning, I was reminded of "delight" again and what we really are to "delight" in...

- wisdom in chapter 8, wisdom was delighted in the Lord.., rejoicing in his craftsmanship, mankind...
- Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
- Reverence, Nehemiah 1:11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.
- The law of the Lord,   Psalm 1:2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
- Salvation....Psalm 35:9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.
- Firm steps...Psalm 37:23 The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;
- The Lord himself...Psalm 43:4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.
- Etc...
- There are many "delights", they go on and on...

But, I want my delight to be where it is most desired...the Lord..

Thank YOU for the "name", it just reminds me in whom and for what my real delight should be ....

Insecurities....

Insecurities ....

One of my challenges that I faced when becoming a widow was taking over my husband's business...

Not only did I resent it, I felt that it wasn't "my" job..why would he die and leave me with this "burden"?   Even though we had done everything we could do to cushion this change, in my grief, it was a huge mountain to climb...and I resented every step...

I wanted a different path, "my" preconceived and planned path...I wanted normalcy, my normalcy...
I cried, I fumed, I argued, I relented finally seeing that was indeed God's plan even though I didn't understand it...

I was reminded of this battle and, indeed, it was a battle, when I watched this short video by Jennifer Rothschild about insecurities. Plus, in my reading of the Word, I was reading 2 Corinthians 10:12-18, "comparing and working" and the question asked was "if you are jealous over someone else's calling or assignment, confess that struggle to the Lord..." (Kelly Minter). (God likes us to learn our lessons and may even remind us of them again).

I have been blessed with so much and I was resenting that gift...He had prepared a way for me and my family to carry on even though it was a path different than we "pictured"...

Now, I look back at those times of battle, even though I would have done it differently, and am blessed that God saw me through it. He took my tears, my railings and arguments, and turned them into good...He has grown us, expanded us to new horizons...giving peace in turmoil...new knowledge, strength in hardship...loved us...on to new paths...thank YOU...

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.



http://jenniferrothschild.com/memyselfandlies/truth-challenge-day-4-video/?inf_contact_key=9001d0a86053877f308c7a8e11acf98d7da35bd85f62b806e89d3c1026201e4e

Signs of spring...

Signs of spring....

The signs of spring are everywhere...the budding of the trees, lilacs...the birds gathering their nesting materials, the baby goslings paddling with their parents, the dandelion polka dotted lawns, daffodils and tulips, road crews filling the multitude of potholes, rain one minute sunshine the next, brighter colors warn by the people making their appearances outside, lawn care trucks making their way around the neighborhoods....the list goes on...the sunshine feels good even though there is still frost each morning...and I am not shoveling snow today, I think...

This has been an exceptionally long winter, it seems...record snow fall, rains, flooding in various areas, while other areas are drier with fire season already starting...I talked to someone in Tampa, Florida...San Antonio, Texas...all in one Daylily week, and we were seeing spring in its various forms from snow to balmy sunshine, to muggy hot...

God has designed such variety for us all...in weather to geography to people...seasons, giftings, personalities, everything...what a Ceeator!!!
We have some basic likenesses...shelter, food and water as well as the need to fill the worship...help us look to the one, True  God, the Creator of the big and small things, the universe to the small violet poking out on a sun filled day...the mountains to the new born bird, the person next door to the one across the world..

Thank YOU....

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 11 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Deuteronomy 11:14, 16 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.

Song of Songs 2:11-12 See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.

Ready...

Ready...

Am I ready???  That is the question I had to ask...to do whatever is put before me...do I procrastinate??? A resounding YES...
Will I be ready on time??? Do I dawdle around, using up time to no avail?
When there is something I really want to do or face, I do not get ready,,,but when I face it,,there is a relief and peace the follows...why don't I just do it???

Am I ready? In Season and out of season...to give an answer for the hope that I have...to do the right things, to move forward...to help...to encourage...

Readiness instead of tardiness ....get ready...

Thank YOU for the reminder ....

1 Chronicles 28:20-21 David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.
The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.”

Psalm 119:173 May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.
That
Jeremiah 1:17a "Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you....

Ezekiel 38:7a ""Get ready; be prepared, ......

Luke 12:35, 38, 40 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready,
even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.
You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

2 Corinthians 9:5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.

Titus 3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,