Yesterday was the most gorgeous, cerulean blue-sky day in weeks! The temperature was resort-like, sweater-weather cool in the morning but warming under a benevolent sun rising to its zenith. I couldn't get enough of it. I watched my husband turn shaggy lawns into carpets of verdant green as he sat on the riding mower doing endless loops over our son's and our yards. He is at it again today, I think as much for the fun of it as the necessity of beating back nature in her attempt to swamp us in a rain-induced jungle.
We are having the second day of respite from downpours, but the forecast is rain and thunderstorms for the rest of the week, with the sun coming out on Sunday. We are thankful for the window of opportunity to get things done between showers. Howard's artistic side is evident in the way he mowed our front lawn. "I want to leave the clover," he said, "I want it to go to seed." So now we have neat little stands of clover, oval islands of blossoms like white foam in an emerald sea.
I'm glad he left the clover, because I see honey bees sipping its nectar. I love clover honey! They have also been buzzing around the brightly colored flowers in pots on our front patio. It's beginning to look like a flower garden out there as the plants proliferate in a profusion of color. I must stop adding things, but I couldn't resist a cute, scrolled, steel basket hanger I saw on sale today. I hung a small fern on it, but there is also a shelf to hold a potted plant if I choose.
My pansies are loving the extended spell of cool, rainy weather! Their little faces shine cheerily as they bob up and down peeking over the rim of their pots. A basket of pink impatiens, ordinarily a shade plant, is blooming happily in the infrequent, cool sunshine. A sun-tolerant variety of impatiens on an old, slatted bench, is doing well, too, as are the petunias, marigolds and zinnias in their planters. A couple of geraniums are a bright spot of red in their terra cotta pot. We have one in a hanging basket on our side fence out back, as well.
Jesus loved gardens, I believe, as He and his disciples often resorted to a garden to pray. In fact, it was in the garden with olive trees that Jesus was taken by soldiers after his betrayal by Judas. Of course, human life began in the Garden of Eden, God's perfect garden. "And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man who he had formed," Genesis 2:8.
Nature's transformation is pictured in Isaiah's descriptive language of the millennial reign of Christ, when "The wolf also will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard shall lie down with the kid; And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them," Isaiah 11:6. I'm confident there will be gardens and flowers there, for Isaiah 65:21 says, "...And they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them." What a morning that will be!
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
The Broken Rose
The heavy rains lately have been very hard on our roses. The Knock-Out roses had done just that, knocking themselves out, so to speak, with their extravagant blooms. We knew they were getting over loaded and planned to trim them back later on. But we were shocked after torrential rains to see the bushes bent to the ground the other morning!
"Can we tie them up, or something?" I implored my husband. I remembered a pack of heavy brown twine that was left over from some rustic-themed Christmas wrappings I had bought. It worked! Tied to the branches that had drooped, and pulled taut to an iron bracket on the house, the bush was restored to its former glory! The twine was invisible from a distance, even though it was criss-crossed plentifully throughout the bush.
It reminded me of the scripture in Isaiah telling us, "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench," Isaiah 42:3. This is part of a prophecy of the Messiah, who is called "my servant," in verse 1. Bruised reed can also mean bent reed, like my rose branches. Jesus does not give up on people easily, but instead wants to mend broken lives. No matter how desperate the circumstances , there is usually some small glimmer of hope hiding somewhere, and Jesus will not extinguish it. Like a smoldering coal covered with ash, the breath of the Holy Spirit can breath new life into the situation.
In our women's group at church, we have been looking into the lives of notable women in the Bible. We read about Hannah, Samuel's mother, who would not give up the hope of having a child, even promising to turn him over to the Lord if her prayers were answered. During a time of much agonizing and weeping in prayer, the priest Eli, overheard, and at first thinking her to be drunk, told Hannah to go in peace, that her desire would be granted. She rejoiced and saw the fulfillment of her hope.
Another strong woman of the Bible was Leah, the unintended wife of Jacob. She wanted desperately for him to love her, but he loved Rachel, whom he also married. In Leah's obsession to bear many sons to gain his love, she was always disappointed. But God remembered her, and it was her son, Judah, not Rachel's son, who was in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Often times our spirits are bruised. We long for distant loved ones, or have other desires that seem hopeless and never to be fulfilled. "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life," Proverbs 13:12. A famous work by Johann Sebastian Bach, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring says it all. When our desire is for Him, it is a tree of life!
"Can we tie them up, or something?" I implored my husband. I remembered a pack of heavy brown twine that was left over from some rustic-themed Christmas wrappings I had bought. It worked! Tied to the branches that had drooped, and pulled taut to an iron bracket on the house, the bush was restored to its former glory! The twine was invisible from a distance, even though it was criss-crossed plentifully throughout the bush.
It reminded me of the scripture in Isaiah telling us, "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench," Isaiah 42:3. This is part of a prophecy of the Messiah, who is called "my servant," in verse 1. Bruised reed can also mean bent reed, like my rose branches. Jesus does not give up on people easily, but instead wants to mend broken lives. No matter how desperate the circumstances , there is usually some small glimmer of hope hiding somewhere, and Jesus will not extinguish it. Like a smoldering coal covered with ash, the breath of the Holy Spirit can breath new life into the situation.
In our women's group at church, we have been looking into the lives of notable women in the Bible. We read about Hannah, Samuel's mother, who would not give up the hope of having a child, even promising to turn him over to the Lord if her prayers were answered. During a time of much agonizing and weeping in prayer, the priest Eli, overheard, and at first thinking her to be drunk, told Hannah to go in peace, that her desire would be granted. She rejoiced and saw the fulfillment of her hope.
Another strong woman of the Bible was Leah, the unintended wife of Jacob. She wanted desperately for him to love her, but he loved Rachel, whom he also married. In Leah's obsession to bear many sons to gain his love, she was always disappointed. But God remembered her, and it was her son, Judah, not Rachel's son, who was in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Often times our spirits are bruised. We long for distant loved ones, or have other desires that seem hopeless and never to be fulfilled. "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life," Proverbs 13:12. A famous work by Johann Sebastian Bach, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring says it all. When our desire is for Him, it is a tree of life!
Monday, May 11, 2015
Itsy Bitsy Spider (Not!)
"Howard, look at this!" I gasped as I saw an odd brown object on my purse. We had just gotten in the car to go to church on this Mother's Day morning. I had grabbed my beautiful, black patent purse, one I hadn't carried in a while, to go with the shoes I was wearing. "It's a spider!" I shuddered as I saw its angular legs poking up by the fat, oval body. "I wonder if it's a brown recluse!" I exclaimed. He said to kill it, so I grabbed a wadded tissue over it and heard a pop as I smashed it under my foot.
I didn't know if I had brushed against a shrub as I came off the porch, maybe picking it up that way, or if it was in the car. But since the purse had been atop a tall armoire in the bedroom, it may have come from there. Anyway, I thought no more about it as we hurried on to church.
My husband was to teach Sunday School in the absence of the regular teacher, and he had come armed with several Bibles, booklets and papers as well as his guitar! The lesson was from Acts and the coming of Pentecost, so he couldn't resist singing his old favorite, "Pentecostal Fire is Falling." It was a novel and entertaining class to say the least!
Following our morning worship, the pastor introduced a lady speaker who addressed the Mother's Day crowd, especially, of course, all the mothers present. It was an inspiring message, but she was very soft spoken, and my husband kept nodding off during the service, of which I became aware when his Bible kept sliding from his knees to the floor! After his studious week of preparing for teaching, and arising early this morning, I knew he was exhausted and sleeping in God's rest!
All the mothers were invited to come forward for prayer after the message. When the altars were lined from wall-to-wall, husbands and fathers were asked to stand behind their wives and/or daughters and pray for them. It was a very moving time of the service, and I really appreciated Howard's prayers as he put his hands on my shoulders and prayed for me. Tears and hugs were the order of the day at the conclusion of the service.
I wasted no time when I got home in researching Brown Recluse spiders on the internet. The picture I found was identical! When I told our son about it during his Mother's Day call, he asked if it had a violin pattern on the back. I hadn't seen one, since I didn't examine it closely. We went out to the car where the wadded tissue was still on the floor, and under a magnifying glass, I could see the tell-tale markings on the shriveled shell!
A little later, I noticed a scraped-looking red bump on my wrist! I read all the symptoms, and began feeling truly bad! But perhaps I was just tired, and after a rest and pain reliever I felt fine. Except for the fact that I was a little broody about having no kids on Mother's Day. We all live far apart, and even though I loved their phone calls and telephone visits, I missed family. We'd had a wonderful dinner, made at home to avoid restaurant crowds, but how to fill the rest of the day? Nothing suited, so I'm afraid I was a mopey mommy most of the day.
I got to thinking later, though, that my pitying thoughts were something that was creeping in, like the Brown Recluse spider, spoiling my happiness and appreciation for all the good things and blessings in my life. My husband, home, health, church and all the Lord has given me. I have no room for spiders in my life. In fact, we bought an insect bomb to set off in our house. Reading the Bible at the breakfast table this morning was the perfect bomb to explode on the enemy, the devil!
I didn't know if I had brushed against a shrub as I came off the porch, maybe picking it up that way, or if it was in the car. But since the purse had been atop a tall armoire in the bedroom, it may have come from there. Anyway, I thought no more about it as we hurried on to church.
My husband was to teach Sunday School in the absence of the regular teacher, and he had come armed with several Bibles, booklets and papers as well as his guitar! The lesson was from Acts and the coming of Pentecost, so he couldn't resist singing his old favorite, "Pentecostal Fire is Falling." It was a novel and entertaining class to say the least!
Following our morning worship, the pastor introduced a lady speaker who addressed the Mother's Day crowd, especially, of course, all the mothers present. It was an inspiring message, but she was very soft spoken, and my husband kept nodding off during the service, of which I became aware when his Bible kept sliding from his knees to the floor! After his studious week of preparing for teaching, and arising early this morning, I knew he was exhausted and sleeping in God's rest!
All the mothers were invited to come forward for prayer after the message. When the altars were lined from wall-to-wall, husbands and fathers were asked to stand behind their wives and/or daughters and pray for them. It was a very moving time of the service, and I really appreciated Howard's prayers as he put his hands on my shoulders and prayed for me. Tears and hugs were the order of the day at the conclusion of the service.
I wasted no time when I got home in researching Brown Recluse spiders on the internet. The picture I found was identical! When I told our son about it during his Mother's Day call, he asked if it had a violin pattern on the back. I hadn't seen one, since I didn't examine it closely. We went out to the car where the wadded tissue was still on the floor, and under a magnifying glass, I could see the tell-tale markings on the shriveled shell!
A little later, I noticed a scraped-looking red bump on my wrist! I read all the symptoms, and began feeling truly bad! But perhaps I was just tired, and after a rest and pain reliever I felt fine. Except for the fact that I was a little broody about having no kids on Mother's Day. We all live far apart, and even though I loved their phone calls and telephone visits, I missed family. We'd had a wonderful dinner, made at home to avoid restaurant crowds, but how to fill the rest of the day? Nothing suited, so I'm afraid I was a mopey mommy most of the day.
I got to thinking later, though, that my pitying thoughts were something that was creeping in, like the Brown Recluse spider, spoiling my happiness and appreciation for all the good things and blessings in my life. My husband, home, health, church and all the Lord has given me. I have no room for spiders in my life. In fact, we bought an insect bomb to set off in our house. Reading the Bible at the breakfast table this morning was the perfect bomb to explode on the enemy, the devil!
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Let It Go!
"Look at this funny video," I called to my husband. I had to laugh at a man starting an electric lawn mower (obviously a self-propelled one) and being immediately jerked to the ground and dragged across the street. I guess it was the surprise element (and the look of surprise on the man's face!) that made me laugh.
"Why didn't he let go?" Howard asked, to which I responded, "He couldn't! Haven't you ever seen someone who couldn't let go in a dangerous situation like that?" It must be a fear mechanism that makes them hang on, or their hand is frozen to the spot and won't respond.
"I remember a time when I was in third grade and we were living in Colorado. My dad and brother-in-law were working out there in the sugar beet harvest, if I remember right. One day my sister's husband pulled out on to the highway in his car, and to our horror, there was my 3-year-old brother Jimmy hanging on to the bumper!" Everyone screamed, catching the driver's attention, and Jimmy was rescued, thoroughly terrified, and having only scraped knees for his misadventure. He had been unable to let go!
For some reason the little boy was fascinated with Odell's big car. One day he was discovered with a paint brush and some paint he had gotten into, and the headlights of the car were covered with white paint! From then on, Odell referred to him as "My little 'panker.'"
My brother Roy was about 4, and one day our mother went into the convenience store nearby. "Ma'am, I have something for you," the proprietor said, handing her three $1 bills. "Your little boy gave me these and said he wanted three candy bars." A dollar back in the forties was probably worth $10 today, so I'm sure Mama was glad to get them back. I'm not sure how many of the 5-cent candy bars she was able to return!
I can't help but think of images I have seen of men hanging on to ropes being pulled up by the dirigible Hindenburg that crashed in the air disaster of 1937. They were too terrified to let go before they got too high to turn loose.
Obviously, my little brother wanted candy, and he knew money had to pay for it, but I doubt he knew right from wrong, although I'm sure he learned a lesson from that experience. Sin is like hanging on to a rope one is afraid to release. There is a saying, "Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay."
The Bible says in I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Verse 5 says, "...God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all." That light cannot be put out by a coat of white paint, nor can sin be covered by a coat of white paint! He is stronger than the sin that wants to enslave us!
"Why didn't he let go?" Howard asked, to which I responded, "He couldn't! Haven't you ever seen someone who couldn't let go in a dangerous situation like that?" It must be a fear mechanism that makes them hang on, or their hand is frozen to the spot and won't respond.
"I remember a time when I was in third grade and we were living in Colorado. My dad and brother-in-law were working out there in the sugar beet harvest, if I remember right. One day my sister's husband pulled out on to the highway in his car, and to our horror, there was my 3-year-old brother Jimmy hanging on to the bumper!" Everyone screamed, catching the driver's attention, and Jimmy was rescued, thoroughly terrified, and having only scraped knees for his misadventure. He had been unable to let go!
For some reason the little boy was fascinated with Odell's big car. One day he was discovered with a paint brush and some paint he had gotten into, and the headlights of the car were covered with white paint! From then on, Odell referred to him as "My little 'panker.'"
My brother Roy was about 4, and one day our mother went into the convenience store nearby. "Ma'am, I have something for you," the proprietor said, handing her three $1 bills. "Your little boy gave me these and said he wanted three candy bars." A dollar back in the forties was probably worth $10 today, so I'm sure Mama was glad to get them back. I'm not sure how many of the 5-cent candy bars she was able to return!
I can't help but think of images I have seen of men hanging on to ropes being pulled up by the dirigible Hindenburg that crashed in the air disaster of 1937. They were too terrified to let go before they got too high to turn loose.
Obviously, my little brother wanted candy, and he knew money had to pay for it, but I doubt he knew right from wrong, although I'm sure he learned a lesson from that experience. Sin is like hanging on to a rope one is afraid to release. There is a saying, "Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay."
The Bible says in I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Verse 5 says, "...God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all." That light cannot be put out by a coat of white paint, nor can sin be covered by a coat of white paint! He is stronger than the sin that wants to enslave us!
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Heavenly
"Mama, I know what I'm giving you for your Christmas present that I never got to give you," my daughter Amy said over the phone awhile back. "A panini!" she said. A panini? I wasn't sure what it was, though I figured it was some kind of sandwich maker, since I'd seen these sandwiches on the menu at different restaurants.
We saw Amy and our granddaughters at our son's house in Houston for Easter. After an incredible week-end, and as we were taking our leave, Amy pressed something into my hand. "Here is $50 for you to buy a panini press," she said. "I'm sorry it took so long." That was the least of my worries, because I know what a busy life she leads, with a demanding job and three emerging young adults in her house. College, proms, cars and all manner of needs and activities vie for her attention.
As soon as we got home from our trip, we set out to buy a panini press. I had no idea where to get one, but we found one at a department store in another city. It was marked $99.00, though. However, the sign said, "Reduced: $69.00." We decided to take it, and at the register we were given other discounts, so the total was something like $54.00! Perfect! When I told our daughter about it, she said that it was a fancier one than she had!
Now we are enjoying the new appliance. We find ourselves shopping for it, getting tempting cold cuts and experimenting with special breads. Her father loves the pressed, toasted sandwiches with the grill marks on them. I found out "panini" is the Italian word for "pressed bread."
I thought about Jesus in the garden of Gethsamane. The word, "Gethsamane" means place of the olive press. Jesus went there on the night He was betrayed. It was among the old olive trees on the night of His passion that he prayed while His disciples slept. Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsamane and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder," Matthew 26:36.
It was as if Jesus were being pressed in the olive press, because his agony was so intense that the Bible says in Luke 22:44, "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
Knowing that bread is "the staff of life," for people, Jesus called himself "the bread of life." John 6:35, "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
During the feast of Passover, the Jews ate unleavened bread called Matzah bread. It was baked flat and with tiny holes pierced into it for even baking. The holes were in lines, and when the bread baked, ridges arose and were browned intermittently, making the bread looked striped. The stripes and piercing of Jesus are are seen in this representation.
The heavy top that presses down on our panini grill marks our bread with stripes. I don't think I'll ever look at the grill marks the same way, remembering how our Bread of Life came down from heaven and gave His all for our salvation. Thank you, Amy, for the gift given at Easter, the day of His resurrection!
We saw Amy and our granddaughters at our son's house in Houston for Easter. After an incredible week-end, and as we were taking our leave, Amy pressed something into my hand. "Here is $50 for you to buy a panini press," she said. "I'm sorry it took so long." That was the least of my worries, because I know what a busy life she leads, with a demanding job and three emerging young adults in her house. College, proms, cars and all manner of needs and activities vie for her attention.
As soon as we got home from our trip, we set out to buy a panini press. I had no idea where to get one, but we found one at a department store in another city. It was marked $99.00, though. However, the sign said, "Reduced: $69.00." We decided to take it, and at the register we were given other discounts, so the total was something like $54.00! Perfect! When I told our daughter about it, she said that it was a fancier one than she had!
Now we are enjoying the new appliance. We find ourselves shopping for it, getting tempting cold cuts and experimenting with special breads. Her father loves the pressed, toasted sandwiches with the grill marks on them. I found out "panini" is the Italian word for "pressed bread."
I thought about Jesus in the garden of Gethsamane. The word, "Gethsamane" means place of the olive press. Jesus went there on the night He was betrayed. It was among the old olive trees on the night of His passion that he prayed while His disciples slept. Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsamane and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder," Matthew 26:36.
It was as if Jesus were being pressed in the olive press, because his agony was so intense that the Bible says in Luke 22:44, "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
Knowing that bread is "the staff of life," for people, Jesus called himself "the bread of life." John 6:35, "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
During the feast of Passover, the Jews ate unleavened bread called Matzah bread. It was baked flat and with tiny holes pierced into it for even baking. The holes were in lines, and when the bread baked, ridges arose and were browned intermittently, making the bread looked striped. The stripes and piercing of Jesus are are seen in this representation.
The heavy top that presses down on our panini grill marks our bread with stripes. I don't think I'll ever look at the grill marks the same way, remembering how our Bread of Life came down from heaven and gave His all for our salvation. Thank you, Amy, for the gift given at Easter, the day of His resurrection!
Sunday, April 26, 2015
New Season
What is it about spring that makes you want to refresh, clean out, and clear out clutter around the house? One day I took a look at my house and knew some changes had to be made. "Howard," I called, "Would you help me move some of this stuff to the basement?" Out went an extra rocker, a bedroom table, and a couple of chairs.
I had already begun to downsize my kitchen by moving a serving cart to the laundry room where it conveniently holds supplies. Just a few changes really helped and opened up space. We stored winter clothes and relieved closet space.
Then I looked at the screened front porch. "We need a new porch rug," my husband had been saying, to which I would reply, "Why? It would just get dirty!" With my husband's farm-work hobby/job, he tracks a lot of dirt!
Yesterday was a beautiful, gorgeous Saturday, so nice after the leaden skies and unseasonably cool days lately. "Let's go to Stillwater!" I suggested. We love to go there for an outing, have lunch, and browse the discount stores. "We could probably find a porch rug at Ross," I said tantalizingly.
Giving the area a perfunctory glance before looking in the clothing departments, I was disappointed that the space normally displaying rugs was bare. Later, I looked further and saw a few small rugs in another aisle. There was one possibility in the right size, though, so I called my husband to come see. He was tired and wanted to go home by then, but he finally agreed to look. He was a little doubtful, but the price was right, so we bought it.
What a difference it makes to our porch! The colors on the patterned rug blend with the furniture, and everything looks so bright and cheerful! I rearranged by putting the garden wagon on the front patio to hold flowers, necessitating a few more helpful changes. We were tired, in a good way, and we sat and lingered long and appreciatively over the improvements.
Change is necessary sometimes, even in our lives, and especially our spiritual lives. We embarked on a change a couple of months ago to discontinue our cable service. It was expensive, and really didn't have much on that was edifying. I realize I am a lot less stressed without the constant alarming news riveting me to the screen. I can find out what's happening in a calmer state by reading the daily newspaper, not to mention the internet.
I find I am reading more, giving time to Bible study preparation, and enjoying wholesome, Christian videos. Listening to Christian music on the radio (I never was a radio listener) while I do my housework is uplifting and spiritually edifying. I have more time for prayer and meditation without the distraction of television viewing.
Spring cleaning can be a good thing! It can add a spring to your step (my husband's favorite expression), and spiritually, give you springtime in your soul!
I had already begun to downsize my kitchen by moving a serving cart to the laundry room where it conveniently holds supplies. Just a few changes really helped and opened up space. We stored winter clothes and relieved closet space.
Then I looked at the screened front porch. "We need a new porch rug," my husband had been saying, to which I would reply, "Why? It would just get dirty!" With my husband's farm-work hobby/job, he tracks a lot of dirt!
Yesterday was a beautiful, gorgeous Saturday, so nice after the leaden skies and unseasonably cool days lately. "Let's go to Stillwater!" I suggested. We love to go there for an outing, have lunch, and browse the discount stores. "We could probably find a porch rug at Ross," I said tantalizingly.
Giving the area a perfunctory glance before looking in the clothing departments, I was disappointed that the space normally displaying rugs was bare. Later, I looked further and saw a few small rugs in another aisle. There was one possibility in the right size, though, so I called my husband to come see. He was tired and wanted to go home by then, but he finally agreed to look. He was a little doubtful, but the price was right, so we bought it.
What a difference it makes to our porch! The colors on the patterned rug blend with the furniture, and everything looks so bright and cheerful! I rearranged by putting the garden wagon on the front patio to hold flowers, necessitating a few more helpful changes. We were tired, in a good way, and we sat and lingered long and appreciatively over the improvements.
Change is necessary sometimes, even in our lives, and especially our spiritual lives. We embarked on a change a couple of months ago to discontinue our cable service. It was expensive, and really didn't have much on that was edifying. I realize I am a lot less stressed without the constant alarming news riveting me to the screen. I can find out what's happening in a calmer state by reading the daily newspaper, not to mention the internet.
I find I am reading more, giving time to Bible study preparation, and enjoying wholesome, Christian videos. Listening to Christian music on the radio (I never was a radio listener) while I do my housework is uplifting and spiritually edifying. I have more time for prayer and meditation without the distraction of television viewing.
Spring cleaning can be a good thing! It can add a spring to your step (my husband's favorite expression), and spiritually, give you springtime in your soul!
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Marry Me!
We are having a wedding in the family in June. One of our grandsons is getting married! The excitement has been building over the last few months of the couple's engagement. Stephen and Kaitlin (names changed for privacy) are making their plans long-distance. They can't be together yet, since she has to finish college.
It is fun to keep up with the progress of the wedding plans via Facebook. Weddings seem to be more complicated nowadays. A venue must be decided on, wedding party chosen, and a million details that seem to fall to the bride. Early on, Kaitlin showed off a pretty, hand-crafted wedding planner journal. Then her little flower girl was announced. A little later, news was that she had found her wedding gown!
Meanwhile, she can't stop talking about her groom-to-be. Pictures of him float on internet with words singing his praises. His good looks, personality, kindness and thoughtfulness are extolled. (Of course, I agree with them!) Everything reminds Kaitlin of Stephen. She found a guitar pick of his in her car and marveled over it, remembering his strumming and singing.
I can't help but think about the church's role as the bride of Christ, our soon-coming Bridegroom! We should be as my future granddaughter-in-law: Can't stop talking about Him. Telling of the Lord's goodness. Finding daily reminders of him in our lives through answered prayer, the beauty of creation, or little things that make us know He is thinking of us!
Meanwhile, Jesus is preparing a place for us, just as it is Stephen's role to secure an apartment for them in the distant city where they will live. When I asked my daughter how he would know if Kaitlin likes the home he selects, she said he would send her pictures. Jesus has sent us word pictures about our heavenly home. We are told there are streets of gold, a beautiful river, a place of joy and gladness. Most important of all, He says, "Where I am, there ye may be also."
Kaitlin has an engagement ring. This is her promise of a wedding. Jesus gives us "the earnest of our inheritance," Ephesians 1:14. Verse 13 says, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise."
When the time comes that the new couple will want to buy a house, earnest money, or a deposit, may be called for, insuring that they will follow through on the purchase. The Holy Spirit Jesus gave us is our "earnest money" on our new home in heaven!
A couple of days ago I read Kaitlin's post on Facebook that "The cake has been ordered!" It made me wonder if "the cake has been ordered" in heaven, with the angels getting it ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb! The invitations have been sent, just as the young couple's invitations will be sent, and I plan to be there for both weddings!
It is fun to keep up with the progress of the wedding plans via Facebook. Weddings seem to be more complicated nowadays. A venue must be decided on, wedding party chosen, and a million details that seem to fall to the bride. Early on, Kaitlin showed off a pretty, hand-crafted wedding planner journal. Then her little flower girl was announced. A little later, news was that she had found her wedding gown!
Meanwhile, she can't stop talking about her groom-to-be. Pictures of him float on internet with words singing his praises. His good looks, personality, kindness and thoughtfulness are extolled. (Of course, I agree with them!) Everything reminds Kaitlin of Stephen. She found a guitar pick of his in her car and marveled over it, remembering his strumming and singing.
I can't help but think about the church's role as the bride of Christ, our soon-coming Bridegroom! We should be as my future granddaughter-in-law: Can't stop talking about Him. Telling of the Lord's goodness. Finding daily reminders of him in our lives through answered prayer, the beauty of creation, or little things that make us know He is thinking of us!
Meanwhile, Jesus is preparing a place for us, just as it is Stephen's role to secure an apartment for them in the distant city where they will live. When I asked my daughter how he would know if Kaitlin likes the home he selects, she said he would send her pictures. Jesus has sent us word pictures about our heavenly home. We are told there are streets of gold, a beautiful river, a place of joy and gladness. Most important of all, He says, "Where I am, there ye may be also."
Kaitlin has an engagement ring. This is her promise of a wedding. Jesus gives us "the earnest of our inheritance," Ephesians 1:14. Verse 13 says, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise."
When the time comes that the new couple will want to buy a house, earnest money, or a deposit, may be called for, insuring that they will follow through on the purchase. The Holy Spirit Jesus gave us is our "earnest money" on our new home in heaven!
A couple of days ago I read Kaitlin's post on Facebook that "The cake has been ordered!" It made me wonder if "the cake has been ordered" in heaven, with the angels getting it ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb! The invitations have been sent, just as the young couple's invitations will be sent, and I plan to be there for both weddings!
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