Category: Faithfulness

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The Smallest Details

I am amazed every time I am out in nature! God’s handiwork can be overwhelming. When we were in the mountains we took our grandson on a couple of nature hikes. We wanted him to see things that he didn’t experience at home. We found a massive Ponderosa pine tree that had fallen and the roots were exposed. Tangled in the root base were big rocks. Can you imagine the strength it took for those roots to push past them and go deeper into the earth to provide the stability for the tree’s growth?

Then just a few steps later we were looking at mushrooms. All kinds of mushrooms – yellow, pink, orange, red and white mushrooms. Why didn’t God just create one kind? They all appeared to be similar in structure – just different colors. Another opportunity to stop and wonder at the greatest of God.

And then there were the flowers…I’m not sure if they were echinacea or Spanish daisies but I had to stop. Just like I stopped for the young deer playing tag by the road side or the turkeys coming down from their roost in the pines or the herd of elk in the meadow enjoying their morning grazing. All of these sightings caused me to stop and ponder the greatness of my Father.

I understand the words of the Psalmist:

“When I look up and think about Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in their place, 4 what is man, that You think of him, the son of man that You care for him? 5 You made him a little less than the angels and gave him a crown of greatness and honor. 6 You made him to rule over the works of Your hands. You put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and cattle, all the wild animals, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and all that pass through the sea. 9 O Lord, our Lord, how great is Your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:3-9 NLV

What is man that You think of him? With all that the Father has made and all He has done I am awed when I think that He desires relationship with me. There is no room for self-loathing and low esteem when we realize that the God, who created the universe, loves us and desires a personal relationship with us.

Recently our daughter posted an ultrasound image of her unborn daughter to Facebook. Less than nine weeks and baby Elizabeth will be here to greet us all. Kaci has studied that image and knows every bump and wiggle – this is her and Stephen’s daughter. They are “mindful” of her existence and her development. They already have two children, Sam and Kristine, but their hearts are full of love for Elizabeth. That’s the amazing thing about a parent’s heart – it’s expandable and will have more than enough love for every child.

That’s how the Father’s heart is toward all of us, loving and expansive!

Jesus wanted us to know the depth of the Father’s love and gave this example to the disciples so that they could gain understanding and know the answer to the Psalmist question, what is man that You think of him.

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?” Matthew 6:25-30 NLT

If God knows about the birds, the trees, the flowers, the elk, the deer and the mushrooms don’t you think that He knows and cares so much more for us?

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:31-33

Take a look around today. Look for the smallest details in nature; God created the minute and the great. But most importantly of all He loves us and He cares for us!

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Lions and Bears – Oh My!

We just got home from another camping trip to the mountains. This was our second trip this summer – the White Mountains of Arizona are beautiful and so relaxing.

However, they are also the natural habitat for many different kinds of wildlife. This trip we saw elk, deer, turkeys, the ever-present chipmunks and squirrels and a couple of skunks (but I’ll tell you about them a bit later).

For several days before we left I was reading systematically through Psalms and Proverbs. I was really impressed with the verses in those two books that promised safety and protection to “those who serve the Lord”. Now, I’m been walking with the Lord long enough to know that when there’s a reoccurring theme to my reading God is trying to tell me something.

“I can lie down and sleep soundly because you, Lord, will keep me safe.” Psalm 4:8 CEV

“You, Lord God, are my protector. Rescue me and keep me safe from all who chase me.” Psalm 7:1 CEV

“But if you listen to me, you will be safe and secure without fear of disaster.” Proverbs 1:33 CEV

“They will help you to live  a long and beautiful life. 23 You will walk safely and never stumble; 24 you will rest without a worry and sleep soundly.” Proverbs 3:22-24 CEV

“Let all who run to you for protection always sing joyful songs. Provide shelter for those who truly love you and let them rejoice.” Psalm 5:11 CEV

“Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful. 2 Then you will say to the Lord, “You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you.” Psalm 91:1-2 CEV

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

“Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories.” Isaiah 41:10 CEV

These verses were planted in my heart before we left for camping and through my daily reading I was reminded of the Father’s faithfulness and protection. I knew the Lord was preparing me for a situation that might cause me to fear or to feel unsafe and so I began praying protection over Dave and I and our camping trip. I also prayed over our oldest daughter, Kim, her husband, Austin and our youngest grandson, Sam, who would be joining us on the weekend.

When we arrived at the campground on Tuesday afternoon we were excited to get camp set and begin enjoying our time in the mountains. The camp host gave us the customary reminder that there are bears in the woods although none had been spotted for quite some time. But then she said something I had not expected…3 male mountains lions had been spotted close to the campground the day before. We needed to be alert when out walking, especially if we had small children or small dogs. We should also keep all our food locked away in our vehicle during the night.

At that instruction I felt fear begin to grip my thoughts. We were in a tent – this was not good news. Now I knew what the Lord had been preparing me for – I needed to trust Him to be my safety.

The first night I slept very little. Most of the night I was quoting the Scriptures above and reminding myself that the Lord was my safety and protection. I heard every sound and my body was on alert. During the day there was no worry or fear – none. The second night I was able to sleep better and found a greater sense of peace and rest.

On Thursday it was even better. Friday I was able to get a text out to a friend and asked her to pray with me over the situation. I know her to be a prayer warrior and knew she would join me. It was that day that the Lord gave me these verses:

“You let us rule everything  your hands have made. And you put all of it under our power— 7  the sheep and the cattle, and every wild animal, 8  the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and all ocean creatures. 9 Our Lord and Ruler,  your name is wonderful everywhere on earth!” Psalm 8:6-9 CEV

The Bible isn’t just words on a page to me. The verses above, and all the verses from cover to cover, as God’s promises to me that He is my protection, my safety, my salvation, my healing, my joy, my peace, my wisdom and my strength. Regardless of the circumstances my strength comes from trusting Him and knowing that He will never lie to me – if the Father promises to be my protection then that’s exactly what He will do!

Kim, Austin and Sam arrived on Friday morning. It was Sam’s first camping trip and we had a wonderful time. Nature walks, discovering old dead trees, seeing wild turkeys, fishing, making s’mores and so many other things. We took over 300 pictures in two days to document all the fun.

Friday night I went to bed confident in God’s protection. Sam wanted to sleep in the RV that night so we read stories, had prayer time and everyone was ready for bed. Now, to the skunks. I had forgotten to put Glory’s dog food up and at 10pm Dave and I both heard a noise in the camp. We looked out with our flashlights but couldn’t see anything. Dave softly yelled and whatever it was ran off. Then about 2am we heard something else – this time we were able to see that it was a couple of skunks. They were not going to be run off and we weren’t going to disturb them. It was only when we got up in the morning that we discovered they had found the container of dog food, gotten the lid off and eaten to their hearts contentment.

We knew they would be back on Saturday night for a second helping so Sam slept in the RV again instead of the tent. It was an interesting end to our camping. We also learned that the lions had been chased out of the area – hunting season started and they, the lions, weren’t staying around with all the hunters and their dogs who were arriving.

Fear is real! The purpose of fear is to break our confidence in God’s word. I’ve heard it said that fear is a fact that we have to deal with but that God’s word is truth and truth is greater than facts – truth changes facts. Facts must submit and conform to truth.

Jesus told the disciples who were on a ship about to sink to “fear not”. The truth was Jesus had said that the boat would go to the other side of the lake. Fear saw the waves and felt the wind, the facts, but God’s word, the truth, calmed the waves!

I would love to say that I live “fear free” but I have to deal with it as much as anyone. However, I have learned that God’s word makes me an overcomer in fearful situations when I let the peace of God rule my heart.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

I’m not sure what “lion” is bringing fear into your life – it may be a health issue, finances, relationships, your job, physical danger or some world crisis – but I do know that our command from the Lord is to “fear not” so commit the situation to Him and His peace will guard your heart.

One final word on our camping trip – we were not foolish in our actions; we were alert to our surroundings, we didn’t allow Sam or Glory to run off unattended, we had bear spray and we also had other forms of protection and we covered every circumstance with prayer.

God is ALWAYS faithful and He can ALWAYS be trusted!

“We are still alive because  the Lord’s faithful love never ends. 23 Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal! 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my God, and I trust him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 ERV

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Course Correction

Once again Dave and I are on the road. We are in the mountains camping. We spend so much time traveling; God has blessed us with safety on each journey, we are very grateful and never take it for granted.

As we travel I can’t help but think of all those who have traveled these roads before. Those who came on horseback, in covered wagons and those whose only means of transportation was their feet. Looking at the terrain, considering the weather, the elements and the dangers they may have faced causes me to pause. But then thinking of the joy they experienced in seeing new land that no one had ever been to before, the beauty – the grandeur, the vastness of creation, brings an unprovoked smile to my face. We check the Atlas and follow the roads, they followed the dreams of their hearts!

Then I thought about Abram. At a word from the Lord, he set out for a world unknown.

“The LORD said to Abram: Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you. 4-5 Abram was seventy-five years old when the LORD told him to leave the city of Haran. He obeyed and left with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and slaves they had gotten while in Haran.” Genesis 12:1-5 CEV

His obedience birthed a nation. His obedience open the door for Jesus, the Messiah to come. His obedience brought blessing to his life and those who traveled with him.

What road has the Lord asked you to take today? Are you being obedient and bringing blessing to the lives of those around you? Or are you like another man that God spoke to about traveling a new road, Jonah? He chose to be disobedient and his disobedience caused a storm in his life. Satan worked to destroy him as he ran from God. But God…but God intervened, kept him safe in the belly of the fish and set him on the right path.

“But Jonah tried to run away from the Lord. He went to Joppa and found a boat that was going to the faraway city of Tarshish. Jonah paid money for the trip and went on the boat. He wanted to travel with the people on this boat to Tarshish and run away from the Lord…While Jonah was in the stomach of the fish, he prayed to the Lord his God. He said, 2 “I was in very bad trouble. I called to the Lord for help, and he answered me. I was deep in the grave. I cried to you, and you heard my voice. 3 “You threw me into the sea. Your powerful waves splashed over me. I went down, down into the deep sea. The water was all around me. 4 Then I thought, ‘Now I must go where you cannot see me,’  but I continued looking to your holy Temple for help. 5 “The seawater closed over me. The water covered my mouth, and I could not breathe. I went down, down into the deep sea. Seaweed wrapped around my head, 6 I was at the bottom of the sea, the place where the mountains begin. I thought I was locked in this prison forever, but the Lord my God took me out of my grave. God, you gave me life again! 7 “My soul gave up all hope, but then I remembered the Lord. I prayed to you, and you heard my prayers in your holy Temple. 8 “Some people worship useless idols, but those statues never help them. 9 I will give sacrifices to you, and I will praise and thank you. I will make special promises to you, and I will do what I promise.” Salvation only comes from the Lord!” Jonah 1:3, 2:1-9 ERV

If you’ve been running from God make a course correction and follow the path of blessing!

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Under Construction

Strong as a brick house! You remember how the story goes: Three little pigs, one built their house of straw, one built their house of twigs and one built their house of bricks. The big, bad wolf huffed and puffed and blew down the first two houses but when he came to the house of bricks he huffed and puffed and huffed and puffed and huffed and puffed and he couldn’t move the house.

Children’s stories have a lesson to teach if we are smart enough to look for it. Did you realize that story is an example of the believer who is standing on God’s word?

“You believers are like a building that God owns. That building was built on the foundation that the apostles and prophets prepared. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in that building. 21 The whole building is joined together in Christ, and he makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in Christ you are being built together with his other people. You are being made into a place where God lives through the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:21-22 ERV

The cornerstone or foundational stone for our lives as believers is Jesus Christ. We are in Him! And in Him, the Spirit of God dwells, so the Spirit of God dwells in us, giving us strength to stand, empowering us for victory.

“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock. 26 “Whoever hears these teachings of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. And it fell with a loud crash.” Matthew 7:24-27 ERV

Jesus is called the “Word made flesh” so when we accept Him as our Savior he becomes our chief cornerstone. He is the true foundation for our spiritual lives, we become grounded on the rock.

Jesus told Peter that when we build our lives on the knowledge that Jesus is the anointed Son of God that we are built on a rock and death will not be able to destroy us.

“Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter spoke up, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus told him: Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! You didn’t discover this on your own. It was shown to you by my Father in heaven. 18 So I will call you Peter, which means “a rock.” On this rock I will build my church, and death itself will not have any power over it.” Matthew 16:15-18 CEV

I used to clean a house that had a bad foundation. The soil had not been properly compacted and as the soil settled cracks began appearing in the concrete floor. Some were more obvious than others. As I cleaned I saw the cracks were in every room in the house. I can’t help but wonder about the condition of the house ten years from now. It looks good from the outside but the foundation is compromised. It’s not stable.

When we recognize our need for Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior we build our lives on a sure foundation, a rock. We don’t just look good but we are solid to the core.

“You also are like living stones, and God is using you to build a spiritual house. You are to serve God in this house as holy priests, offering him spiritual sacrifices that he will accept because of Jesus Christ. 6 The Scriptures say, “Look, I have chosen a cornerstone of great value, and I put that stone in Zion. Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.” I Peter 2:5-6 ERV

Let me be the first to compliment you. You look like a brick house, you’re solid, unshakable and when you trust the Lord you’ll never be disappointed.

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Outnumbered!

Do you ever feel outnumbered? Possibly it’s because your opinions differ from others or maybe you’re not as smart, talented, educated, wealthy or witty as those around you. It may be that you have faced a physical enemy or it could be an emotional attack. What do you do?

I’m reminded of Elisha and his servant.

“Time after time, when the king of Syria was at war against the Israelites, he met with his officers and announced, “I’ve decided where we will set up camp.” 9 Each time, Elisha would send this warning to the king of Israel: “Don’t go near there. That’s where the Syrian troops have set up camp.” 10 So the king would warn the Israelite troops in that place to be on guard. 11 The king of Syria was furious when he found out what was happening. He called in his officers and asked, “Which one of you has been telling the king of Israel our plans?”

12 “None of us, Your Majesty,” one of them answered. “It’s an Israelite named Elisha. He’s a prophet, so he can tell his king everything—even what you say in your own room.” 13 “Find out where he is!” the king ordered. “I’ll send soldiers to bring him here.” They learned that Elisha was in the town of Dothan and reported it to the king. 14 He ordered his best troops to go there with horses and chariots. They marched out during the night and surrounded the town. 15 When Elisha’s servant got up the next morning, he saw that Syrian troops had the town surrounded. “Sir, what are we going to do?” he asked.

16 “Don’t be afraid,” Elisha answered. “There are more troops on our side than on theirs.” 17 Then he prayed, “Lord, please help him to see.” And the Lord let the servant see that the hill was covered with fiery horses and flaming chariots all around Elisha. 18 As the Syrian army came closer, Elisha prayed, “Lord, make those soldiers blind!” And the Lord blinded them with a bright light. 19 Elisha told the enemy troops, “You’ve taken the wrong road and are in the wrong town. Follow me. I’ll lead you to the man you’re looking for.” Elisha led them straight to the capital city of Samaria.” II Kings 6:8-19 CEV

The odds were not good – two against an army. Outnumbered! The servant was worried and possibly had considered deserting Elisha but the prophet had his eyes on the Lord! He knew God’s promises – He was more aware of who God is and what God was doing than he was of the army sent to capture him.

David was the same way when it came to Goliath. He knew God had delivered him from a lion and a bear and that God would do the same with this enemy, an uncircumcised Philistine – a man who had no covenant with God.

Then there was Daniel and the lions; the Hebrew children and the fiery furnace; Moses and the Red Sea; Noah and the flood; Jesus and the storm at sea; Peter locked in prison; Paul & Silas chained in a dungeon and Jesus in the tomb. Each one of these circumstances is a reminder that God is faithful and we are never outnumbered when we are with God!

We must keep our eyes on the Commander and not the battle – with God we are a majority in any situation.

“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 KJV

“What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32 God not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? ” Romans 8:31-32 CEV

Take a page from Elisha’s battle plan – ” “Don’t be afraid,” Elisha answered. “There are more troops on our side than on theirs.” 17 Then he prayed, “Lord, please help him to see.”

When we are with the Lord – we outnumber the enemy!

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One of the Crowd

Many people followed Jesus when he was here on earth. He was a novelty with his healing power and his words of love. He claimed to be the Messiah and as such they expected him to overthrow the government and set up his reign as King.

No more Roman oppression; this man could multiply food; he could walk on water and even raise the dead. He called out hypocrisy and brought a sense of worthiness to the down trodden. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to be one of his followers.

But then there was a call for accountability. Jesus said that the path of following Him would require them to change their way of life and commit to His. He even said that they would need to “eat of his flesh and drink of his blood” and this, they thought, was referring to a type of cannibalism and so many of them left and return to their old way of life.

Jesus was simply saying that they needed to be all in – totally committed – in following him. So, as his followers were leaving He turned to his disciples and asked this question.

“Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him. 67 Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they were going to leave him. 68 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. 69 We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.” John 6:66-69 CEV

At one time thousands followed him; they came to the hear the Sermon on the Mount, they were there when he multiplied the loaves and fishes, they crowded the streets just to get close to Him but when public opinion and political pressure was exerted they fell away and some changed sides completely.

Some of the same ones who had welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday calling out Hosanna, Hosanna were also in the crowd a few days later saying crucify Him, crucify Him.

Our resolve must be that of the disciples. “Where else can we go, you have the words of life?”. So many are turning their backs on Jesus and becoming one of the crowd. It’s important that we stand strong in faith and follow Jesus.

Father, we gladly follow you today. We are not ashamed to be called Christians – Christ-like ones. You gave your life for us and we will live our lives for you!

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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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The Birds Were Still Singing

(continued from yesterday) Have you ever noticed how you try to quiet your mind and body for sleep and all the “what ifs” come rushing in? It happened to us that night. It was a beautiful, cool, mountain night. We were tired but as soon as our heads hit the pillows the questions and doubts came knocking.

“The night may be filled with tears, but in the morning we can sing for joy!” Psalm 30:5 ERV

Joy comes in the morning. And it did. I few weeks ago I told a friend that Jesus teaching on His Father providing for the birds is one that I live every day. Every morning I awaken and shortly thereafter I am greeted by the birds singing their sweet song of thankfulness to the Lord. It was no different in the mountains.

Sleep had been restless at best; getting used to the sleeping bags and cot, hearing the noises outside the tent, the thoughts of the days activities. But right before dawn I woke with a smile, there is was, the bugle of an elk off in the meadow. His day was starting with joy and then the mountain birds began their song. Each morning started with these joyful songs and they reminded me once again of my Father’s love and care.

“So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are?” Matthew 6:25-26 ERV

We determined we would not worry; we would enjoy our time together. We had been looking forward to this camping trip for the last several months and we wouldn’t give it over to worry. We started and ended each day with prayer. We gave praise for where we were, who we were with and that our Father was in control.

We walked – miles each day. We read, I haven’t taken the time to read in ages and while we were there I finished two books and am half way through a third. We played cribbage. We fished…but caught nothing. We laughed and went on site seeing excursions.

Now it was Friday, the day the truck was to be ready. It wasn’t – the new transfer case hadn’t arrived. I will admit it was a bit of a scramble. We had to called the rental car company and get an extension, no problem, and they gave us a weekly instead of daily rate. Call the campground reservation line and get that extended. It’s the weekend and the birds are still singing…

One of the books I read was Vanished Arizona. It was the story of an Army Lieutenant’s wife who came to Arizona in 1874. She came from San Francisco on a steamship around the tip of Mexico and up the Gulf to the Colorado River. Then boarded a paddle wheeler and came up to Colorado to Ehrenburg. From there they traveled by ambulance and on foot to Prescott and then across the Mogollon Rim to Fort Apache. It took months for them to go what now only takes a matter of a couple of days.

Her life was hard. When we would want to complain we would look at each other and say “Just think of what it was like for Martha, we have no reason to complain”. And the birds were still singing.

I was wanting to share this all with you from the mountains but the Lord had me on “radio silence”. Only two mornings was I able to get out with postings. Our signal was so weak. I could get out with a few texts but couldn’t add any emogi’s or they wouldn’t transmit. But I did have my computer and was able to write another chapter in the book I’m working on.

We had a fun weekend doing more of the same. Walking, talking, fishing, playing cribbage and reading. We even got to have a nice warm shower at the bath house. Tuesday came and we got a text. The part had been taken off the truck in Phoenix and not loaded back; it wouldn’t be here until Wednesday.

Our hearts sank. Really? Frustration began to creep in. We weren’t angry with anyone just frustrated. We called the Enterprise and extended for one more day. We already had the camp site until Wednesday so we talked to the camp hosts and told them we may be checking out late on Wednesday, no problem. We found a Mexican Restaurant, that let Glory come in, and had a nice dinner and headed back to the lake.

We got back to camp and started packing up as best we could. Everything we wouldn’t need for the night or the next morning got packed. Tyler, at the transmission shop, told us the truck would be ready by noon. We believed him…and the birds were still singing, a constant reminder of our Father’s provision.

“Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.” Matthew 6:34 CEV

Wednesday morning we got up to sound of the elk and the birds. God was in control but our minds had so many what if’s. We talked through each one and knew that our heavenly Father would direct our steps and we found peace.

We broke down camp and headed to town. A few miles down the road we had a good strong signal so Dave called Tyler. They were working on the truck. It would be done by 12 or 12:30. Yes!

Thank you Jesus.

We got to Enterprise to turn in the truck. Eight days of truck rental ended up costing us $30 more than a five day rental – thank you Enterprise and PJ. Now on to the transmission shop. We were concerned about the cost! We had received an estimate for the work and it was high. (side note: financial issues have always been a big deal, we have known extreme lack and its not fun) The work was complete and Tyler had our final invoice. He showed Dave the bill and it was $1000 less than the estimate! Thank you, Tyler and Southwest Transmission. I almost cried and Dave jumped for joy.

Now to head back and load up the black truck and come home! Home, sweet home!

To you, our camping story may not seem that big of a deal. You have faced worse, so have we but this time we came through without fear or overwhelming worry. We stayed in a place of trust.

What I want you to know is that God is faithful! That’s who He is! So no matter how large a problem you have in your life you can trust Him to take care of you and bring you through it.

“But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him.” II Chronicles 15:4 NLV

If you listen carefully this morning the birds are still singing and God is in control!

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Comparisons

Are you making comparisons this morning? Making choices; which is right, who is better, what is best… The only real comparison that is necessary is the one that puts my decisions and choices in line with the word of God.

If I compare myself to others the Bible says I am unwise. And if I compare others to myself I generally end up judging because I can only look on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart. So that really isn’t an accurate comparison either.

But when I compare myself to God’s word, the word will bring light and life to my situation. It will guide me in truth and that is a solid foundation.

“Our Lord, let the heavens now praise your miracles, and let all of your angels praise your faithfulness. 6 None who live in the heavens can compare with you. 7 You are the most fearsome of all who live in heaven; all the others fear and greatly honor you. 8 You are Lord God All-Powerful! No one is as loving and faithful as you are. 9 You rule the roaring sea and calm its waves. 10 You crushed the monster Rahab, and with your powerful arm you scattered your enemies. 11 The heavens and the earth belong to you.
And so does the world with all its people because you created them 12 and everything else. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon gladly praise you. 13 You are strong and mighty. 14 Your kingdom is ruled by justice and fairness with love and faithfulness leading the way.

15 Our Lord, you bless those who join in the festival and walk in the brightness
of your presence. 16 We are happy all day because of you, and your saving power
brings honor to us. 17 Your own glorious power makes us strong, and because of your kindness, our strength increases. 18 Our Lord and our King, the Holy One of Israel, you are truly our shield.” Psalm 89:5-18 CEV

When I compare anything else in life to the Lord and His love, all else pales. Nothing I desire compares to Him!

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Planning for a Trip

If you remember, back in April I showed you a picture of our new tent. We had been talking about camping for a long time and we wanted to be able to take the little grandkids with us, helping them learn about the great outdoors.

Our budget didn’t have the funds for a 5th Wheel Trailer or RV so we decided to go with a tent. It’s no ordinary tent; its big with 2 removable walls, LED lighting, oversized cots with memory foam mattresses, two RTIC ice chests, pop-up canopy for over the picnic table and a couple of anti-gravity chairs. Yep, we are “geared up”!

If you know me very well at all, you know I make lists for everything. Camping is no different. The picture on today’s blog is my actual list of things I need to know I have when we go camping next week. I’ve been over that list several times now and the things circled are the items that still need to be added before we leave on Tuesday.

There is another list besides this one. It has things that still need to be done around the house before we leave; spraying weeds, watering plants, laundry and then those “day of” items – packing the ice chest, turning off the a/c, lowering the hot water heater, taking out the trash…

To have a successful trip, there needs to be thorough planning!

What do you plan for? A big project at work, a wedding, kids college fund, exercise regime, retirement, dinner next week with friends…

I asked myself this question, what did God plan for? He planned for a life with us!

“The plans of the Lord stand forever. The plans of His heart stand through the future of all people. 12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord. Happy are the people He has chosen for His own.” Psalm 33:11-12 NLV

From the beginning He desired to have a relationship with us and when Adam chose his own way and rebelled, God immediately began planning to restore us.

“We were weak and could not help ourselves. Then Christ came at the right time and gave His life for all sinners. 7 No one is willing to die for another person, but for a good man someone might be willing to die. 8 But God showed His love to us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Now that we have been saved from the punishment of sin by the blood of Christ, He will save us from God’s anger also. 10 We hated God. But we were saved from the punishment of sin by the death of Christ. He has brought us back to God and we will be saved by His life.” Romans 5:6-10 NLV

Unlike our camping trip, Jesus didn’t bring anything with Him. He came as a baby; he laid aside all that He had in heaven and limited himself to the confines of a human life.

“It is true that we share the same Father with Jesus. And it is true that we share the same kind of flesh and blood because Jesus became a man like us. He died as we must die. Through His death He destroyed the power of the devil who has the power of death. 15 Jesus did this to make us free from the fear of death. We no longer need to be chained to this fear. ” Hebrews 2:14-15 NLV

He planned to be like us and provide the way for our relationship with the Father.

“We have a great high priest who has gone to live with God in heaven. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us continue to express our faith in him. 15 Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned. 16 With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:14-16 ERV

I am so thankful that the Father made a plan for me and I’m so very glad that Jesus was willing to make the trip!

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