Category: Relationship

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Follow the Shepherd

Yesterday when we were talking about being a beggar or a believer, it came to mind that some folks think God is out to get them or at the very least to make their lives meager, unhappy and empty of anything good and enjoyable but that is the exact opposite of who God really is. They think that to follow the Lord they would be destine to life a sub-standard life, a beggar’s existence.

All you have to do is follow Jesus through the streets and byways of His earthly existence to see how He came to give live and life more abundantly. (John 10:10) From the very beginning, His life was for one purpose, to bring God’s love to us and to die for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins and enter into a “sonship”, to be adopted by God the Father and become joint-heirs with Jesus.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God and those that come to Him MUST believe that He exists and that He IS a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”

God rewards us for seeking Him – do you get that? He rewards us with eternal life, with peace, joy, love; with health and healing; with supplying all our needs and prospering us so we can be a blessing to others; with His power & authority to overcome the works of the enemy. But it takes faith – not faith in what I’ve done to be good enough to have God love and bless me but faith in God and His unconditional love for me, His love that is extended toward me knowing that I can NEVER be good enough to earn it on my own. If we could earn it, there would have been no need for Jesus to die. Faith is an act of receiving what has already been done, not a work or effort that we must accomplish.

Let’s go back to the verses in John 10. Jesus was comparing himself to a “good shepherd” and contrasting the way a shepherd is with a thief and with a hired hand who have no vested interest in the flock.

“The man who guards the gate opens the gate for the shepherd. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep, using their names, and he leads them out. He brings all of his sheep out. Then he goes ahead of them and leads them. The sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 But sheep will never follow someone they don’t know. They will run away from him, because they don’t know his voice.”

6 Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant.

7 So Jesus said again, “I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All those who came before me were thieves and robbers. The sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will be able to come in and go out. They will find everything they need. 10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.

11 “I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” John 10:3-11 ERV

We lived in an area that had some pretty big bands of sheep and I grew up where sheep were a part of the agricultural community so I have a casual observation and knowledge of shepherds and how they care for their sheep. Shepherds will fight with all they have to protect the sheep and keep them out of danger. They continue to move the sheep from one pasture to the next so that they have good nourishment and stay strong. (You see sheep will eat grass to the ground and then begin eating the dirt with the roots of the grass if they aren’t moved to better pasture) A good shepherd will make sure the sheep have plenty of fresh water and will doctor the sick and feeble ones. No wonder Jesus compared himself to a shepherd – He was always using examples that folks could relate too.

Jesus went through the streets as a shepherd; he healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out devils, fed the hungry, opened blind eyes, rescued a prostitute, taught fisherman how to fish, brought wine to a wedding, forgave sins, restored a tax collector’s reputation, spoke out against the hypocrisy of religion and taught people everywhere about the amazing unconditional love of the Father.

Jesus mindset was always to glorify the Father by what he said and did. He lovingly cared for and provided for those who listened to his voice and followed him.

He’s still our shepherd. Follow His voice!

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Keep It Sweet

When our oldest daughter was in kindergarten, the alphabet circled the room. Each letter of the alphabet had a scripture verse to learn with it. Each verse started with a different letter of the alphabet and all these years later I still remember the verse for the letter “D”.

“14 Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Philippians 2:14

Do ALL things without complaining…Really God, ALL things! Yes, all things. Because as the verse goes on to say we will then be a light in the dark world. If we, who believe in Christ Jesus, and have received His wonderful gift of sonship go about complaining all the time, what will set us apart from the world? How will they know that there is victory and hope if our lives don’t reflect that Christ is living in us.

“15 so that you will be blameless and pure, children of God without any fault. But you are living with evil people all around you, who have lost their sense of what is right. Among those people you shine like lights in a dark world,” Philippians 2:15

It’s so easy to complain about our kids, our mates, our jobs, our health, our finances, the politicians, the weather, etc., but we must resist that temptation and live in what God called us to do.

Paul, who wrote this verse while he was in prison, had been beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, and run out of nearly every town he preached in but he didn’t complain. In fact, he would sing and praise God in the midst of his adversities. He called them “light afflictions”.

When we start to complain about having to pick up after the kids again – remember those who have no children and would dearly love to clean up a mess. Those without a job…those who have lost a mate to death or unwanted divorce…those battling serious health issues…those who live in a country where you are imprisoned for speaking out against the gov’t or even shot in the streets.

King Solomon wrote in Proverbs that having a joyful heart, a heart that is void of complaining, was like having a good medicine.

“Happiness is good medicine, but sorrow is a disease.” Proverbs 17:23 ERV

There was a Disney movie in the late 1950’s called Pollyanna. Pollyanna always had something good to say no matter  how bad the situation was. She brought gladness to the most sullen souls in town. Her attitude helped people see past their disappointments and brought them healing from their pain.

“Your words can be as satisfying as fruit, as pleasing as the food that fills your stomach. 21 The tongue can speak words that bring life or death. Those who love to talk must be ready to accept what it brings.” Proverbs 18:20-21 ERV

When we speak words of life, words without complaining we are a testament to God’s power in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for – to do all things without murmuring or complaining (old English terms)! And rejoice in the Lord always because He is the one who can and will cause us to be victorious.

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Saved by a Jam Jar

Do you think the Lord talks to people today? You know in the Bible He sometimes talked to people with a voice from heaven or in a dream. Sometimes he sent angels and then, of course, there was Jesus living on earth and speaking with people on a daily basis but what about today?

I told you the story about praying for my friend and her family. I was on the tractor and just really “felt” like they were in need and so I began to pray. I continued to pray for them until I was at peace. There are other times when I think “I should call them/I should write them a note”. What about the times when I feel I should just do something nice for someone?

So many times our response is “that just dawned on me” or “I don’t know what made me think of that” or “it just came to my mind” or what about this one “it was just intuition”. I have learned through the years that these are all ways of the Lord speaking to me and I need to be still, listen and then obey.

At one of Jesus’ teachings he referred to himself as the good Shepherd who cares for his sheep (that would be us) and He said this

“ My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 CEV

We need to be more attentive to the Lord’s voice and then we need to be obedient. I’d like to tell you a story that happened to me personally.

Several years ago we were back in Iowa working for some friends. I had gone home from the airport early and planned to get some of my own chores done. I set up the ironing board, got out some shirts and got started. My friend, Melody, stopped by to drop off some papers. I got light headed but thought it was just the heat so didn’t mention anything to her and she left.

I got back at it and I hadn’t been working very long when I was hit with a terrible pain in my abdomen. It was so severe that I almost passed out. I began to pray and kept myself conscious. Then another pain came, it drove me to my knees and another and another. I crawled to the bathroom thinking I was going to throw up. All the time I was praying “Lord, I need help!”

Unknown to me, in my neighbors kitchen, Jan was washing dishes and there on her counter she saw a empty jam jar. I had made jam a week or so earlier and had given them a jar. They had finished it and now the empty jar sat on her counter top. She told her husband “I’m going to take that jar back to Kristi”. He asked, “Now?” and she said “yes, I need to go now”.

There should have been no urgency in returning an empty jam jar. She could bring it over anytime but she just sensed “I need to go now”. She didn’t know it but she was on a mission from God! Jan was the answer to my prayer for help! How silly was that – God used a jam jar to save me.

When she got there and saw what terrible pain I was experiencing, Jan helped me get my phone and I was able to call Dave and he came with Melody and they took me to the ER. From there it was a trip by ambulance to the nearest large city and a 6 day stay in the hospital while I recovered from acute pancreatitis. I don’t even think about what would have happened if Jan had put off returning that jam jar.

How many times have we had “a thought” and pushed it aside as being silly or unimportant? Maybe it was a prompting to do a kindness for a stranger and then we held back because we wondered what will people think. It could be that phone call we’ve been meaning to make, a word of encouragement that needs to be said or a prayer that needs to be whispered. Or maybe it was something we’ve done that didn’t turn out well and we’ve said “I just KNEW I shouldn’t have done that”.

“But He, your Teacher, will not hide Himself any more. Your eyes will see your Teacher. 21 Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:20-21 NLV

It doesn’t take much to send a short text that says “I was just thinking about you and wanted you to know I prayed for you. I love you.” Or a quick call to say “Is there anything you need?” Jan could have thought, I don’t want to bother Kristi. She just got home. I’ll go later. She didn’t know she was the answer to my prayer but she was obedient to what her heart said and that’s exactly what I needed.

There was a young boy by the name of Samuel whose family had taken him to live with the priest in Israel. His parents had dedicated him to the serve the Lord. One night he was asleep and he heard someone call him. He thought it was the old priest, Eli, so he got up and ran to Eli. Eli was sleeping and said he hadn’t called Samuel so Samuel went back to bed. After he fell asleep, he heard the voice again. Same result – go to Eli, no he didn’t call and back to bed. A third time it happened and this is what Eli told him.

“ When the Lord called out his name for the third time, Samuel went to Eli again and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”

Eli finally realized that it was the Lord who was speaking to Samuel. 9 So he said, “Go back and lie down! If someone speaks to you again, answer, ‘I’m listening, Lord. What do you want me to do?’”

Once again Samuel went back and lay down. 10 The Lord then stood beside Samuel and called out as he had done before, “Samuel! Samuel!”

“I’m listening,” Samuel answered. “What do you want me to do?” I Samuel 3:8-10 CEV

Now there’s the right response. We’ve all had times that we have missed God speaking to us, no point in getting condemned or upset about it. No point in looking back. The right response is “I’m listening Lord, what do you want me to do?”

I know I need to listen better and so I encourage you to listen and obey.

Maybe someone you know needs a jar of jam!

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Can You See It?

Our sight is one of our strongest senses. We depend on it for so much of what we do. In fact, we go to great links to make sure we are able to see things clearly. We expend time and money on eye exams and getting our vision corrected. Lasix, contacts, glasses – all big business.

However, from God’s perspective, our physical vision isn’t nearly so important as our faith vision.

“Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.” II Corinthians 4:18 CEV

Over the years I have learned to walk by faith, trusting God’s word more than I trust the things I can see with my physical eyes. To some that is foolish but we need to realize that we all trust things we cannot see each and every day. We trust that there is enough oxygen in the atmosphere for us to keep breathing properly but we’ve never seen the oxygen. We trust that there are sound and picture waves being transmitted but we can’t see them until we have the right receiver.

We experience gravity and thrust all without site. And electricity exists even in places where they have no power plants or knowledge of how to conduct it. You see there is so much in our lives that we “take for granted”. Why then, does it seem so far fetched to put our faith in God’s word and believe it even when we can’t see it?

“Our life is lived by faith. We do not live by what we see in front of us.” II Corinthians 5:7 NLV

Learning to live a life of faith in God is like learning to walk. No child ever just stood and moved across a room confidently, without wobbling, the first time they were upright. No, there’s the pushing up, standing for seconds then sitting down. This is followed up pushing up and holding on to something; then learning balance and after great encouragement from Mommy and Daddy, letting go and taking those first treasured steps.

Scripture tells us that faith is a continuous growth process. Faith comes from hearing God’s word.

“As you have put your trust in Christ Jesus the Lord to save you from the punishment of sin, now let Him lead you in every step. 7 Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him.” Colossians 2:6-8 NLV

God operates in faith. Did you ever stop to think about that? He had faith that what he said would happen. Let there be light and there was light! Our faith pleases God and He rewards us for our faith.

“Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. 2 God was pleased with the people who lived a long time ago because they had faith like this.3 Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by his command. This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen…6 Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him.” Hebrews 11:1-6 CEV

I’m going to tell you one story about a man who put his faith in God and it changed the world. This man’s name was Noah. God told him that he needed to build a boat. A huge boat. This was a foreign concept to Noah; he wasn’t an experienced seaman. And then the instruction continued; build the boat, gather the animals, it’s going to rain. The earth had never experienced rain at that time. This wasn’t just going to be a rain, it was going to be a world wide flood.

By faith, Noah built the ark. He and his family and the animals were saved.

“Noah was warned by God about things that he could not yet see. But he had faith and respect for God, so he built a large boat to save his family. With his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.” Hebrews 11:7 ERV

I’m sure Noah was ridiculed by his neighbors for being stupid or senseless, an old fool, but he believed God’s word and was obedient.

When you believe God and have faith in His word there will be people that think the same of you but believe God anyway! You can trust Him just like Noah did.

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What’s Better Than a Mama Grizzly

I’m sure by now most of you have heard the term Mama Grizzly. It’s been used around quite a bit in the last few years. Of course the meaning can be construed to fit a number of situations and refers to taking a strong defensive stand.

I want you to look at it this morning in light of our relationship with the Father. When Jesus was on this earth he faced constant criticism from the religious leaders and rulers of his day. His own family didn’t understand Him. People followed him out of selfish motives; they wanted to see the next miracle and have a free meal.

No one other than Jesus has ever lived a perfect life. He was pure, even when angry he was righteous. He looked at people and was moved with great love. He championed the weak, healed the sick, brought comfort to those with broken hearts and restored relationship to those who had been outcast. He even forgave the ones responsible for his death. He came with a single purpose – defeat the power of sin, providing a perfect sacrifice for our forgiveness and restoration to God.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.

19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace.” II Corinthians 5:17-19 CEV

When things looked the darkest and hope was almost gone, God stepped in with the ultimate victory.

“We have seen and heard everything He did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And yet they killed Him by nailing Him to a cross. 40 God raised Him to life on the third day and made Him to be seen.” Acts 10:39-40 NLV

When we accept what Jesus has done for us personally is when we truly become God’s child and can call him Father.

“He gave the right and the power to become children of God to those who received Him. He gave this to those who put their trust in His name.” John 1:12 NLV

Once we are in God’s family he defends us, we can be confident of that.

“If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things. 33 Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one! God is the one who makes them right.” Romans 8:31-33 CEV

God, our Father, makes it his personal business to provide for our well being and our defense. He will not, WILL NOT, leave us to struggle through things on our own. It’s his promise!

“’The mountains may disappear, and the hills may become dust, but my faithful love will never leave you. I will make peace with you, and it will never end.’ The Lord who loves you said this.” Isaiah 54:10 ERV

Our loving Father is the one who kept Noah safe in the ark; gave David victory over Goliath; delivered Daniel safely out of the lion’s den; and sent an angel to release Paul from prison. He protects and provides for “his kids”. He’s much better than a “Mama Grizzly”.

One last verse.

“You can go to God Most High to hide. You can go to God All-Powerful for protection. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my place of safety, my fortress. My God, I trust in you.” 3 God will save you from hidden dangers and from deadly diseases. 4 You can go to him for protection. He will cover you like a bird spreading its wings over its babies. You can trust him to surround and protect you like a shield.” Psalm 91:1-4 ERV

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It’s About Relationship, My BFF

I want you to take a minute and think about your best friend.

They could be your mate or someone you have known for years, even since childhood. You can see them in your mind’s eye. You know what colors they will be wearing because you know the colors they don’t like. You know their hobbies and where to find them in their leisure hours. You know what types of things they like to watch on television and what kind of books they read. You certainly know the names of their children and probably their birth dates.

I make it my goal to know my friends favorite desserts because I like to make it for them on their birthdays or when they come to visit. I also like to know how they take their coffee. I want to have it ready for them when they get up and I like to make them feel at home. (Except my dear friend makes her own coffee because she does too much with it and says she doesn’t want to bother me with the details.)

Now stop and think about your friend again. How did this relationship begin? Were they someone you worked with, someone from school or maybe someone from a social gathering you attended, possibly from church? Wherever you met, the relationship only continued to develop because of your investment of time and effort.

The same holds true in our relationship with the Lord.

I was thinking this morning about the different names I use when telling you about God. Let’s see there’s God, Lord, Father, Friend. Each name has meaning and is tied to relationship. Some folks talk about God and you can just hear in their voice that they think He’s aloof, far off and unconcerned about them personally. You hear others and you can tell that they feel God is harsh, judgmental, condemning and cruel.

But then there are those who speak His name and their tone softens, a smile comes to their lips and you know they are talking about their “Dad”, their closest friend, their deepest love! Oh yes – that’s relationship!

That’s the kind of relationship that comes from spending time talking to Him and listening in return. That’s the kind of relationship that comes from knowing His promises and believing that every word He speaks is true. It’s impossible to have a deep and lasting friendship with someone if you don’t think you can trust their words or believe what they say. That’s why my favorite verse in the Bible is

“God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.” Numbers 23:19 ERV

Jesus knew how important relationship was. He trusted his Father with his life. Jesus had God’s word that when he died his Father would raise him to life again in three days. Jesus had God’s word that when he prayed for the sick they would be healed; when he spoke to the storm it would be calmed; when he prayed over the loaves and fishes it would be enough to feed the crowd. We, too, have God’s word.

Look at the prayer Jesus prayed for us. He was in the Garden and knew his death was eminent. One verse tells us that Jesus was in such anguish that he sweat drops of blood. But in that hour he wasn’t praying for himself alone. He talked to His father about their relationship and then Jesus talked to our Father about us. Yes, he was praying for the disciples that were with him and had been following him but then he added you and me to that prayer too.

“Holy Father, I am no longer in the world. I am coming to you, but my followers are still in the world. So keep them safe by the power of the name that you have given me. Then they will be one with each other, just as you and I are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who had to be lost. This happened so that what the Scriptures say would come true.

13 I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. 14 I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t.

15 Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. 17 Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. 18 I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. 19 I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth.

20 I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. 21 I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me.

22 I have honored my followers in the same way that you honored me, in order that they may be one with each other, just as we are one. 23 I am one with them, and you are one with me, so that they may become completely one. Then this world’s people will know that you sent me. They will know that you love my followers as much as you love me.” John 17:11-23 CEV

Now this is the relationship that my Father wants with me and with you, “they will know that you love my followers as much as you love me”. WOW!!

Let me ask you this. Is this a relationship you feel you can invest your time and effort into? It has certainly been worth my time, that I know.

So tomorrow when you get up and have your coffee or tea why not ask the Father how he takes his? I’ve found He likes his the same as I do mine.

May your day be blessed beyond measure today as you realize how much God really loves you!

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Common Sense Isn’t so Common Anymore

We’ve discussed this before but there seems to be a lack of common sense and wisdom. Common sense isn’t so common anymore.

I used to read a chapter a day in Proverbs but the older I get I find that I need to break it down in smaller segments than that so I can really try to absorb what Solomon is saying. And after all these years, I am still finding new truths that I overlooked or didn’t see in the past.

I guess that’s wisdom!

“Good people think before they answer,
but the wicked speak evil without ever thinking.
29 The Lord never even hears the prayers of the wicked,
but he answers the prayers of all who obey him.
30 A friendly smile makes you happy,
and good news makes you feel strong.
31 Healthy correction is good, and if you accept it,
you will be wise.
32 You hurt only yourself by rejecting instruction,
but it makes good sense to accept it.
33 Showing respect to the Lord will make you wise,
and being humble will bring honor to you.”
Proverbs 15:28-33 CEV

1) It’s important that we give thought to the words we speak. Jesus said that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Words can have a mighty impact and so we should choose them well. A wise person will do that.

2) Take time to smile and bring good news. I make a conscious effort to keep a smile on my face. It improves my own outlook. A smile shared is a smile multiplied. (If you smile at someone they generally smile back and that’s multiplication).

3) Accept correction and good advice. It’s beneficial! We can learn from others. We don’t have all the answers or know everything about anything so accepting advice and correction is a step toward wisdom.

4) Giving the Lord his rightful place, a place of reverence, is wise. When we give the Father and His Word first place we are truly wise.

So smile today and be willing to accept instruction or correction and keep the Lord first…you’ll have a near perfect day!

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Forgiveness is Important

For over a week now the Lord has really been impressing me with how important forgiveness is. This truth brings me to focus on how much I have been forgiven.

To the Lord, sin is sin. We sometimes refer to the “little white lie” or “one of the big sins” but that’s not how God sees is at all. In fact in James we’re told if we break one we are guilty of all.

“But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.

10 If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all.” James 2:9-10 CEV

This isn’t an indictment to show us how bad we are but it is a revelation that not one of us can earn our own salvation, we all need Jesus!

Bringing us back to forgiveness we must understand that as the Lord forgives everyone of our sins and shortcomings we must also forgive.

This morning I was reading a devotional by Max Lucado and it hit home. I’d like to share it with you.

“A Grace Giver

Forgiveness is not foolishness. Forgiveness, at its core, is choosing to see your offender with different eyes. By the way, how can we grace-recipients do anything less? Dare we ask God for grace when we refuse to give it? This is a huge issue in Scripture! Jesus was tough on sinners who refused to forgive other sinners.
Remember his story in Matthew 18, about the servant freshly forgiven a debt of millions who refused to forgive a debt equal to a few dollars? He stirred the wrath of God. “You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt. Shouldn’t you have mercy just as I had mercy on you?” (Matthew 18:32). In the final sum, we give grace because we’ve been given grace. And we’ve been given grace so we can freely give it. See your enemies as God’s child and revenge as God’s job.
From Facing Your Giants”

Each of us will have opportunities today to forgive, I pray we are grace-filled in each situation.

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Spending Time in My Yard

I find a great deal of pleasure spending time in my yard. I love pruning the flowers and taking care of the plants.

When we lived in Spokane, Hayden and Dillon we always had large yards and it was my job to do the mowing. Not a riding lawnmower mind you but a gas push mower. I said on more than one occasion that I didn’t need a gym membership because I had at least 3/4 of acre of yard.

And even earlier than that – when we lived in Buckeye and I lspent most of my day on a swather cutting hay or on a baler I realized that time was my own – it was my place to be with my thoughts.

In that time – mowing, I did fill my thoughts with conversation with the Father. Sometimes those were thoughts of complaint and others were prayerful thoughts of love and adoration. And now, the time I spend in the yard taking care of my flowers and providing for the hummingbirds is a source of strength as I listen for the Father’s voice.

Remember the old hymn, I Come to the Garden? Well I find that while I’m there it’s a perfect time to walk and talk with the Father!

I used to deal with feelings of unworthiness and insecurity. I couldn’t be good enough for the Lord to truly love me and I wasn’t talented enough for Him to want to use me. But these times spent with the beauty He created gave me a real connection with His great love.

I used to ask the same question as the Psalms “what is man that thou are mindful of him”.

Yes Father, who am I that you are mindful of me? Why do you think about me? What do you think about me?

You created man for fellowship. You wanted someone to hang with – someone to walk and talk with – someone to share your heart with and so you created man. WOW!

You became our Father and you really like doing stuff with us! Thank you! O Lord, our Lord how majestic is your name – how majestic it is to hang with you today!

“Lord our Lord, your name is the most wonderful in all the earth! It brings you praise everywhere in heaven.
2 From the mouths of children and babies come songs of praise to you. They sing of your power to silence your enemies who were seeking revenge.
3 I look at the heavens you made with your hands. I see the moon and the stars you created.
4 And I wonder, “Why are people so important to you? Why do you even think about them? Why do you care so much about humans? Why do you even notice them?”
5 But you made them almost like gods and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You put them in charge of everything you made. You put everything under their control.
7 People rule over the sheep and cattle and all the wild animals.
8 They rule over the birds in the sky and the fish that swim in the sea.
9 Lord our Lord, your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth!” Psalm 8 ERV

I encourage you today to find your quiet place – your garden and go alone so He can walk and talk with you and tell you of His great love!

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