Category: July2019

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Enjoying Tent Life

Dave and I have been home a few weeks and each day we talk about the fun we had while in the mountains. We are looking forward to going back again in August and this time we will have our oldest daughter, son-in-law and grandson join us for a few days. We really do like our tent.

When our kids were younger we did quite a bit of camping. It was relaxing, fun and inexpensive. We weren’t one of those families that pulled in to the campground in our RV but instead we tent camped. It was a nice tent and as comfortable as a tent could be but still it was a tent.

I had my camping boxes that went on every trip. Each box had all the necessities prepacked. The only thing we really needed to think about was filling the ice chest with the refrigerated food and drinks. We could be ready to go in less than an hour’s time.

We had some fun times; oh, we had the soggy ones too. First time out in the new tent we had forgotten to seal the seams so we got as much rain in the tent as out. Then the adventures of wild animals, canoe trips, floating the river and one time we brought everything but the tent. I know…but it happened.

No matter how much fun we had and how beautiful the camp site it was always nice to come home. A comfortable bed, dry clothes, and a warm shower. Awwww.

In my reading today the Apostle Paul is talking about tent camping.

“We know that our body—the tent we live in here on earth—will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a home for us to live in. It will not be the kind of home people build here. It will be a home in heaven that will continue forever. 2 But now we are tired of this body. We want God to give us our heavenly home. 3 It will clothe us and we will not be naked. 4 While we live in this tent, we have burdens and so we complain. I don’t mean that we want to remove this tent, but we want to be clothed with our heavenly home. Then this body that dies will be covered with life. 5 This is what God himself made us for. And he has given us the Spirit as the first payment to guarantee the life to come.

6 So we always have confidence. We know that while we live in this body, we are away from the Lord. 7 We live by what we believe will happen, not by what we can see. 8 So I say that we have confidence. And we really want to be away from this body and be at home with the Lord. 9 Our only goal is to always please the Lord, whether we are living here in this body or there with him.” II Corinthians 5:1-9 ERV

Life on this earth is like camping in a tent. It’s an adventure but not as comfortable as Home. Going home is something to look forward too with great anticipation. But while we’re in the tent we need to enjoy our surroundings.

Look for the joys of life!

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More Than Enough Power

I love that my husband is handy – doesn’t really matter what needs to be done around the house he can do it.

We’ve been talking for the last week that we need shelves in the garage for all the new camping equipment we have acquired. We both like things organized. So yesterday morning we headed to Home Depot and bought the building materials we needed. Upon arriving home, we pulled the car out of the garage and moved all the stuff to one side and building began. Measuring, cutting, nailing – it was all happening. And then…

Stopped by an uncharged battery. Limited power, low power and then no power! Not having the proper power source will stop us every time.

Life is like that nail (*screw) gun. Its filled with things that are beyond our ability. There’s a key element that must be present for blessings to overflow into our circumstances. What you ask?

Simple. The power of God!

“With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 ERV

Why would God fill our lives with power? It’s so people can see that it’s the Father who pours out good things on our lives! God, the Father, has always wanted His goodness and love known in the earth. The Apostle Paul wrote that it is the goodness of God that draws men to relationship with Him (repentance).

When Jesus walked this earth He healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers, spoke with love and compassion to those who were hurting. People were drawn to Him. For the first time in their lives they saw unconditional love!

His unconditional love changed people. The tax collector gave back money to everyone he had cheated; the demon possessed were restored to their right minds; the prostitute left her way of life and followed Jesus. The disciples gave up their livelihood to follow this man. The thief on the cross defended him with his dying breath!

What was the dynamic force that changed those people and has changed million of lives through the ages? Love! God’s amazing love.

Each one of these people I mentioned saw their lives changed by the power of God working through them, doing exceedingly above all they could ask or think. They had plugged in to God’s source of power, His love.

Now look at the verses just prior to the two I have already used above.

“So I bow in prayer before the Father. 15 Every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name from him. 16 I ask the Father with his great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.

20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of.” Ephesians 3:14-20 ERV

In knowing God, being in right relationship with Him, He strengthens us in faith and love. The love of God is so great that it’s impossible to understand with the human mind. The only way to truly understand it is to experience it!

When we begin to experience that love, His compassion, His UNCONDITIONAL love and see that He accepts us as we are; knowing that we can’t earn it or deserve it, we begin to grow in understanding of its depth, its height, its width and its length. God’s love knows no bounds!

Once we begin to know, truly know, the love of God we will experience the power of God working in us and through us for His glory! Take some time today to meditate on God’s love for you and you will see the circumstances of your life begin to change!

As we plug into our Father’s love we will never be without His power. Our battery will be charged and He will do more than we can possibly imagine!!

*Had to make a correction here. The nail gun is pneumatic and doesn’t require a battery. It was the screw gun that needed to have it’s battery charged.

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Awards & Accolades

Seems that everywhere we turn folks are trying to get us to support a cause. We don’t have to watch TV too long before we see several commercials that are asking for $19 a month to help with this, that and the other.

There are social issues, political issues, humanitarian causes, educational, religious, medical, environmental, recreational, cultural and even artistic areas that are asking for our time and support. Each of us have an area that appeals to us more than others but these things cannot be our primary focus.

Jesus was faced with all the same issues when he walked the earth and he gave this admonition to his disciples.

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26 NKJV

To achieve greatness for self or mankind is futile if it causes us to loose sight of the most important calling we have, our relationship with Jesus Christ!

There is no Nobel prize, humanitarian award, national acclaim or public recognition that can compare with knowing God and having Him speak our name.

“Then Jesus said to his followers, “If any of you want to be my follower, you must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. 25 Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me will find true life. 26 It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost. You could never pay enough to buy back your life. 27 The Son of Man will come again with his Father’s glory and with his angels. And he will reward everyone for what they have done.” Matthew 16:24-27 ERV

We can become weary and exhausted from “trying” to fix all the worlds woes. Our own efforts will fall short every time. But there is a place of rest and that is found in Jesus.

“If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. 29 Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. 30 This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 CEV

Give up trying to gain the world and find rest in Him today!

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Importance of Light

Have you ever gotten up in the middle of the night in a new place and everything was pitch black? You walked carefully across the room, stubbing your toes more than once, wishing there were a night light that could give you some assistance in your journey. I have. As a child Dave was a sleep walker and would wake up lost, so needless to say, we have night lights in our home. Very helpful indeed.

But what about those times when you need a “night light” walking through life?

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.” Psalm 119:105-106 KJV

It would be silly to ask someone for help or directions when we don’t know the way and then ignore what they say. The same holds true for mental and spiritual direction in our lives.

When we have God’s word to light the way and give us direction we shouldn’t be second guessing or ignoring the instruction we receive.

“If we live in the light as He is in the light, we share what we have in God with each other. And the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, makes our lives clean from all sin. ” I John 1:7 NLV

“Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, “I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.” John 8:12 CEV

“I am under an agreement with You, O God. I will give You gifts of thanks. 13 For You have set my soul free from death. You have kept my feet from falling, so I may walk with God in the light of life.” Psalm 56:12-13 NLV

When we walk in the light of God’s Word our way is smoother! Walk well today!

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Coming Home

It’s hard to think of a day in my life without the Lord. Almost impossible! Even during the days when I wasn’t serving Him, when I was being the prodigal – I knew He was there!

Doing things my way, trying to find the “best” way without Him only brought frustration and disappointment.

“Lord, teach me your ways, and I will live and obey your truths. Help me make worshiping your name the most important thing in my life. 12 My Lord God, I praise you with all my heart. I will honor your name forever! 13 You have such great love for me. You save me from the place of death.” Psalm 86:11-13 ERV

By now you know that the story of prodigal son is one of my favorites. I use it often; I am still, after all these years exploring the depth of that Father’s love for his son; for both of his sons. One was wayward in his life style, the other was wayward in his understanding.

The son who left was decadent, rebellious and immoral. The son who stayed appeared to be hard working and loyal but his heart was filled with resentment and bitterness. The one son saw his need for repentance and his broken spirit brought him home. The other, although home, felt like a distant outsider because he had never really developed a relationship with his loving father.

I have been like both of these sons.

I’ve been rebellious and walked far from my Father’s home and I have been close in appearance but distanced because of a hard heart and religious mind set. Is it any wonder that I love this story?

Is it any wonder that I love God’s word?

It is His word that has revealed to me the depth of my Father’s love and the expanse of His forgiveness.

“This is the agreement I will make  with my people in the future, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts. I will write my laws in their minds.”

17 Then he says, “I will forget their sins and never again remember the evil they have done.” 18 And after everything is forgiven, there is no more need for a sacrifice to pay for sins.

19 And so, brothers and sisters, we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place. We can do this without fear because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus. 20 We enter through a new way that Jesus opened for us. It is a living way that leads through the curtain—Christ’s body. 21 And we have a great priest who rules the house of God. 22 Sprinkled with the blood of Christ, our hearts have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. So come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence because of our faith in Christ.” Hebrews 10:16-22 ERV

Because of what Jesus has done for us, we can experience forgiveness and a depth of love we have never known before. Our sins are completely forgiven, He paid the penalty of sin with His life. No further sacrifice is necessary.

We are free to come to the Father; freed from a guilty conscience, free to live confidently in His presence, free to find help in our time of need. Free from the penalty of sin!

Coming home! What a joy to know the Father is always waiting with arms open wide!

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Learning From Others

Yesterday morning after I had shared with you, I read one of the blogs I read each morning. I am always encouraged by the simplistic outlook that comes from Max Lucado’s writings.

His blog yesterday was entitled, “Grace is God’s Best Idea”. Imagine that. God giving His best. There’s just no way around it; that is what God has always done, given His best.

He gave us Jesus – His best. He gave us forgiveness – His best. He gave us relationship with Him – there is no better. Everything that we receive the Father is the best; love, joy, peace, kindness, mercy and grace.

Grace – receiving from God what we don’t deserve. Definitely the best.

So this morning I want to share with you what Max shared with the world. I know you won’t be disappointed.

“Your dad makes you come to church, but he can’t make you listen.  At least that’s what you’ve always muttered to yourself.  But this morning you listen because the preacher speaks of a God who loves prodigals, and you feel like the worst sort of one.  You can’t keep the pregnancy a secret much longer.  Soon your parents will know.  The preacher will know.  And the preacher says God already knows.  You wonder what God thinks.

Could you use some grace?  You know, grace is God’s best idea.  Rather than tell us to change, he creates the change.  Do we clean up so he can accept us?  No, he accepts us and begins cleaning us up.  What a difference this makes!  Can’t forgive your past?  Christ can, and he is on the move…aggressively budging you from grace-less to grace-shaped living.  A forgiven person who forgives others.  This is grace.  Grace is everything Jesus!“

We all need to allow ourselves to receive God’s grace. It’s our help in time of need.

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 NLT

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A Lump in My Throat

I have such a great love for our country and the principles it was founded upon. I am patriotic through and through. I grew up saying the Pledge of Allegiance each morning in my classroom at school. (At the time I didn’t realize what that pledge meant but I knew it was important.)

In those days we had music class one day a week. It was there that Mrs. Martinez taught us the words to the National Anthem, God Bless America, America the Beautiful, You’re a Grand Old Flag and my favorite, The Battle Hymn of the Republic. You know because I’ve told you many times that music and song lyrics have a very important place in my heart.

I get a lump in my throat each time I sing our National Anthem, The Battle Hymn of the Republic and God Bless America. I remember right after 9-11 when our military personnel who stand to sing God Bless America at ball games and public assemblies, there was never a dry eye in the crowds. It wasn’t just a patriotic song; it was a prayer from our lips.

The people who came here to colonize this land, came fleeing persecution of all kinds but one of the primary things they wanted to establish was a freedom to worship God as they pleased. They held fast to their beliefs and built them into the very fabric of our foundation.

Today we celebrate our nation’s birthday, 243 years!

We are a land of imperfect people yet we have a freedom and way of life that is envied the world round. Folks desire to come here for a better way of life; God has blessed us!

I am including the lyrics to the Battle Hymn of the Republic this morning. They are so stirring. They are my prayer as I give thanks for our country. I ask the Lord to bring this nation to a place of faith and trust in Him, once again.

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on

Glory, Glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel
“As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal”
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel
Since God is marching on

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free
While God is marching on

Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Our God is marching on” lyrics by Julia Ward Howe 1861

Happy Birthday America!

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12 NKJV

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I Am Blessed!

This morning I woke and my regular Bible reading took me to a place I am very familiar with and it seemed the Lord was saying, “Happy Birthday, these are my gifts to you”.

“Now, if you will be careful to obey the Lord your God and follow all his commands that I tell you today, the Lord your God will put you high above all the nations on earth. 2 If you will obey the Lord your God, all these blessings will come to you and be yours:

3 “He will bless you
    in the city and in the field.
4 He will bless you
    and give you many children.
He will bless your land
    and give you good crops.
He will bless your animals
    and let them have many babies.
    He will bless you with calves and lambs.
5 He will bless your baskets and pans
    and fill them with food.
6 He will bless you at all times
    in everything you do.

7 “The Lord will help you defeat your enemies who come to fight against you. Your enemies will come against you one way, but they will run away from you seven different ways!

8 “The Lord will bless you and fill your barns. He will bless everything you do. The Lord your God will bless you in the land that he is giving you. 9 If you follow the Lord your God and obey his commands, he will do what he promised. The Lord will make you his own special people. 10 Then all the people in that land will see that you are called to be the Lord’s people, and they will be afraid of you.

11 “And the Lord will give you many good things. He will give you many children. He will give your cows many calves. He will give you a good harvest in the land that the Lord promised your ancestors to give you. 12 The Lord will open his storehouse where he keeps his rich blessings. He will send rain at the right time for your land. He will bless everything you do. You will have money to lend to many nations. And you will not need to borrow anything from them.” Deuteronomy 28:1-12 ERV

Now that’s quite a birthday present!

All those blessings weren’t just for the Israelites, they are for me…and they are for you too!!

“You belong to Christ, so you are Abraham’s descendants. You get all of God’s blessings because of the promise that God made to Abraham.” Galatians 3:29 ERV

“The Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one that Silas, Timothy, and I told you about was not yes and no. In Christ it has always been yes. 20 The yes to all of God’s promises is in Christ. And that is why we say “Amen” through Christ to the glory of God. 21 And God is the one who makes you and us strong in Christ. God is also the one who chose us for his work.” II Corinthians 1:19-21 ERV

The yes to all God’s promises come to us through our relationship with Jesus Christ. The promises that He made in the Old Testament are for us today because of our relationship with Christ.

What a wonderful gift we have – we have God’s unchangeable word!

And then when I finished reading I looked out my window and saw a beautiful sunrise. It was the Lord smiling on my day. I feel very blessed and I love that I get to share His blessings with you.

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Heart Smart

So many advertisements and commercials encourage us to be “heart smart”. They focus on proper eating habits, exercise, refraining from smoking and living stress free.

I agree that we need to protect our hearts but it won’t come from eating a certain cereal, taking a low grain aspirin everyday, or any other thing that man can advertise. To be truly heart smart take a good dose of Scripture everyday.

“Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.” I Kings 8:61

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalm 27:14

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matthew 22:37-39.

if you really want to do something to keep your heart healthy keep it centered on God’s Word!

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Calming Our Fears

As we get closer to Independence Day I was reminded of the first year we had our miniature Australian Shepherd at the fireworks display.

We enjoyed the fireworks of the little town in Iowa where we were living for the summer. It was a nice show – I had a perfect spot from the porch of our RV. But Glory, our Australian Shepherd, was not getting the same enjoyment I was. Although the noise was slightly bothersome, it was the bright flashes of light that bothered her the most so we finished watching from inside, through the window. As long as she sat in my lap and I was patting her she was ok. She didn’t realize that there was nothing to harm her and that soon, very soon, it would all be over. Her perspective was skewed but she knew she would be ok because I would protect her.

It made me think of how unfounded my fears have been. Most things are only loud noises and flashing lights when put in perspective with God’s word and His goodness, grace, mercy and power. Things that filled my heart with fear when I was in my thirties no longer hold me in their grasp.

There’s an old song – The Longer I Serve Him the Sweeter He Grows! Yes, I can say God is faithful!

Always!

Me, on the other hand, I can use some work. So many times I thought I knew best and have the perfect plan. I got out into a place of loud booming noises and flashes of light that frightened me. I was sure I would be destroyed. I would come back and cuddle in close and I would feel God’s reassuring hand and hear His voice telling me it would be ok, “I’m here”. And yes, it was soon over and it was ok.

Moses was giving instruction to the Israelites and Joshua right before they crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Moses told them that he wouldn’t be going with them; he had led them for forty years and now it was time for someone new to take charge. They were to follow Joshua.

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 7 And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. 8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 30:6-8 KJV

Be of “Good” courage. That’s a lot like “Good” success. Good courage is God-based and it will drive out fear. John wrote in I John 4 that perfect love casts out fear. When we are secure in God’s love for us, knowing that He will never leave us or forsake us, we will also be strong with “good” courage even in the face of fierce battles and opponents that are big as giants.

Look at what Moses says in verse 8: He WILL be with thee, He WILL NOT fail or forsake thee, fear NOT!

I don’t know what loud noises and flashing lights you are facing today but when you are letting the Lord lead you can have “good courage” and you’ll hear His voice telling you He’s there and you can trust Him to protect.

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