These words from the hymn, In the Bleak Midwinter, came to mind as I looked out the window this morning. After an all-day snow yesterday, it is snowing again this morning, just as it is in many parts of the country. A few weeks ago, everyone around here was asking, "Where is the snow?" I was wondering, too! We'd only had one light snow since our first one in November. Now that February is almost off the calendar, nature seems to have shifted into high gear to give us the much-needed moisture for coming crops.
I remembered reading in the Old Farmers' Almanac that we were to have an unusually cool and wet winter, with heavy snowfalls, especially in the northeast. The prediction was that people may see deep snow until June! And I did see that frozen Niagara Falls may not thaw completely until June! Now I wonder if they hit the nail on the head! I surely hope they are not that accurate!
Back to the hymn. It was written by Christina Rossetti, based on a poem she had written. The first verse depicts the view, now questioned, that Jesus was born in the cold, snowy winter:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the bleak mid-winter, Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone.
Snow on snow on snow on snow
In the bleak mid-winter, O so long ago.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The second verse deals not only with Jesus birth, but with His second coming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, Nor earth contain.
Heaven and Earth will flee away, When He comes to reign.
In the bleak mid-winter, A stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The truth of Jesus's return gives us hope even in the most dismal, disagreeable weather or circumstances in which we find ourselves. Certainly conditions we live in now point to His soon return. The most important thing we can do is reflected in the last stanza of the carol.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What can I give Him, Poor as I am.
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part.
Yet what can I give Him: Give my heart.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
Sign Language
Was that my phone? It sounded different! Then I found it lying on my iPad, on which I saw my own face! Someone was trying to FaceTime me. Then baby Isaac's smiling face filled the screen! I had said just this morning that I wished they would FaceTime us, forgetting it was our son Jamie's day off and that it might be a possibility.
Isaac was animatedly jabbering baby talk as if he were trying to talk to us! He knows us because we were there last week, and from seeing us on FaceTime this way. I heard Jamie telling him to say, "Please," about something and saw Isaac rub his hand across his left chest. "He's giving the sign language word for "please," Jamie explained.
I remembered when we were there they had said the baby-sitter had been teaching him baby sign language, but I hadn't seen him do it much. I know Isaac is smart enough to talk, but until he does, this is a handy way to communicate. I remember when his father was little, his "sign language" was to point, then give an affirmative "um," if we understood, and a negative "um" if we got it wrong! Jamie talked in his own good time, and I'm sure our little grandson, who is 15 months, will, too.
In the Bible, we are told of another who could not speak and had to use sign language. This was also related to a baby. When the priest Zacharias was told by the angel Gabriel that his aged wife Elizabeth would bear a son, he did not believe it. " And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season," Luke 1:20.
(22) "And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless." When the baby was born, the people wanted him to be called by his father's name, but Elizabeth said his name was John (later known as John the Baptist).
(62) "And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. (63) And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John...(64) And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God."
John came to prepare the way for Jesus and to point people to Him. There are signs everywhere today that point to Jesus coming again. Jesus said in Matthew 16:2-3, "...When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"
Genesis 1:15 tells us the sun and the moon are for signs and seasons. Today we have the signs of the four blood moons and their proximity to Jewish feast days that seem to bear significance. Let us not fail to read the signs!
Isaac was animatedly jabbering baby talk as if he were trying to talk to us! He knows us because we were there last week, and from seeing us on FaceTime this way. I heard Jamie telling him to say, "Please," about something and saw Isaac rub his hand across his left chest. "He's giving the sign language word for "please," Jamie explained.
I remembered when we were there they had said the baby-sitter had been teaching him baby sign language, but I hadn't seen him do it much. I know Isaac is smart enough to talk, but until he does, this is a handy way to communicate. I remember when his father was little, his "sign language" was to point, then give an affirmative "um," if we understood, and a negative "um" if we got it wrong! Jamie talked in his own good time, and I'm sure our little grandson, who is 15 months, will, too.
In the Bible, we are told of another who could not speak and had to use sign language. This was also related to a baby. When the priest Zacharias was told by the angel Gabriel that his aged wife Elizabeth would bear a son, he did not believe it. " And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season," Luke 1:20.
(22) "And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless." When the baby was born, the people wanted him to be called by his father's name, but Elizabeth said his name was John (later known as John the Baptist).
(62) "And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. (63) And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John...(64) And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God."
John came to prepare the way for Jesus and to point people to Him. There are signs everywhere today that point to Jesus coming again. Jesus said in Matthew 16:2-3, "...When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"
Genesis 1:15 tells us the sun and the moon are for signs and seasons. Today we have the signs of the four blood moons and their proximity to Jewish feast days that seem to bear significance. Let us not fail to read the signs!
Thrifty is Nifty!
"Do you want chili for lunch?" I asked Howard as he came in at a frigid noon hour. He readily agreed, and I got out ground meat to brown, then an unwelcome thought surfaced. I wasn't sure I had chili seasoning! I had already done a mental checklist for the other ingredients: canned tomatoes, leftover beans, as well as canned black beans. Sure enough, there was no chili seasoning.
"I will run and get some," my husband offered. Though the store was only two blocks away, I hated for him to go back out in the cold.
"Do you think I could use this?" I asked doubtfully, holding up a packet of taco seasoning. I read the ingredients and saw that it had chili seasoning in it.
He told me to go ahead, and as I tasted, experimented, added tomato sauce and the other things, it seemed pretty flavorful. He ate it and loved it! Even said it was better than usual!
"Do we have anything sweet?" he asked hopefully, upon finishing a bowl of the Chili-O? Taco-lili? I told him I was thinking of making a cake, but I didn't have enough butter. A half-recipe of Texas Sheet Cake would have been nice, and it stirs up in a jiffy. I knew the recipe by heart: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, soda, and salt, plus 1 stick butter melted with 2 tbs cocoa, and buttermilk, 1 egg, water and vanilla. Then melted butter and cocoa for the frosting, a bit of milk and vanilla, and powdered sugar.
Wait a minute! I thought. I had sour cream! I could stretch the butter with that. It worked! I didn't even have to use buttermilk (milk + vinegar), because the sour cream would work with the soda! With the added sour cream, I had enough butter to make the delicious chocolate frosting, and the cream sufficed for the milk, too! My husband was a happy camper, and didn't mind the substitutions at all! He remained at the table in the warm kitchen with his iPad until the cake was finished.
I like being frugal! This was brought home to me the other day when our daughter-in-law Rhonda and son Mark took us to a home store near their house. We had a few hours until her turkey roast was ready, and it was something to do on our only afternoon there. I loved the store! Scads of lovely home decor, from flowers to furniture, covered the giant warehouse-like floor space. And best of all, it was reasonable! Not that I needed anything, although the art work was amazing, and the graphics and old-fashioned signs were tempting, even though I have no available wall space.
A nice throw pillow for 50% off took my eye, but I was able to resist other stuff, until I yelled, "At last! Something I can afford!" as I held up a bundle of 24 colorful dish cloths! And at only $4.99! Just what I needed, since I prefer to wash dishes by hand. My present ones had seen better days, the name, dish rags, befitting them perfectly. I couldn't believe how happy my practical bargain made me feel!
Although creation and nature are lavish in beauty and bounty, surely God doesn't want us to be wasteful. In John 6:12, after Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the scripture says, "When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost (wasted)."
So I guess when I save my leftovers, I am in good company!
"I will run and get some," my husband offered. Though the store was only two blocks away, I hated for him to go back out in the cold.
"Do you think I could use this?" I asked doubtfully, holding up a packet of taco seasoning. I read the ingredients and saw that it had chili seasoning in it.
He told me to go ahead, and as I tasted, experimented, added tomato sauce and the other things, it seemed pretty flavorful. He ate it and loved it! Even said it was better than usual!
"Do we have anything sweet?" he asked hopefully, upon finishing a bowl of the Chili-O? Taco-lili? I told him I was thinking of making a cake, but I didn't have enough butter. A half-recipe of Texas Sheet Cake would have been nice, and it stirs up in a jiffy. I knew the recipe by heart: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, soda, and salt, plus 1 stick butter melted with 2 tbs cocoa, and buttermilk, 1 egg, water and vanilla. Then melted butter and cocoa for the frosting, a bit of milk and vanilla, and powdered sugar.
Wait a minute! I thought. I had sour cream! I could stretch the butter with that. It worked! I didn't even have to use buttermilk (milk + vinegar), because the sour cream would work with the soda! With the added sour cream, I had enough butter to make the delicious chocolate frosting, and the cream sufficed for the milk, too! My husband was a happy camper, and didn't mind the substitutions at all! He remained at the table in the warm kitchen with his iPad until the cake was finished.
I like being frugal! This was brought home to me the other day when our daughter-in-law Rhonda and son Mark took us to a home store near their house. We had a few hours until her turkey roast was ready, and it was something to do on our only afternoon there. I loved the store! Scads of lovely home decor, from flowers to furniture, covered the giant warehouse-like floor space. And best of all, it was reasonable! Not that I needed anything, although the art work was amazing, and the graphics and old-fashioned signs were tempting, even though I have no available wall space.
A nice throw pillow for 50% off took my eye, but I was able to resist other stuff, until I yelled, "At last! Something I can afford!" as I held up a bundle of 24 colorful dish cloths! And at only $4.99! Just what I needed, since I prefer to wash dishes by hand. My present ones had seen better days, the name, dish rags, befitting them perfectly. I couldn't believe how happy my practical bargain made me feel!
Although creation and nature are lavish in beauty and bounty, surely God doesn't want us to be wasteful. In John 6:12, after Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the scripture says, "When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost (wasted)."
So I guess when I save my leftovers, I am in good company!
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Neither Snow, nor Rain, nor Gloom of Night...
Whoosh! I love the sound of a picture being sent via iPhone to Facebook! Then the word, Delivered, assures me that the message has been received. How I hate the words, Not Delivered, when it fails to send!
The whooshing noise as the image is snatched from the phone and thrown into space reminds me of prayers going up to God. Then the ping from my phone is like a heavenly response, or a message sent to me.
In Bible days, priests burned incense in their religious ceremonies. the rising smoke symbolic of prayers going up to heaven. Revelation 8:3 reads, "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar before the throne.
(4) "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." The following verse says that an angel took the censer, filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth, causing thunder and lightning and an earthquake! Wow! Our prayers must be powerful! The imagery prompts Max Lucado to say that when saints pray, we create an explosion of power!
As believers, we don't have to wonder whether our prayers have been received. I Peter 3:12 says, "For the eyes of the Lord are ever over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers;". However, the rest of the verse carries a warning: "but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."
Our prayers are even more instantaneous than the internet capabilities. And prayer communication is certainly more reliable than US Mail. I had intended to send our small grandchildren Valentines recently, then one day I realized it was only two days until Valentine Day! I hurried to town and selected cute cards for them, knowing that mail usually gets to their home in Houston in two days.
We did a couple errands before making it to the mailing center, where the mail goes out at three o'clock. I hurried in a few minutes past three and asked if the mail had gone out. At Christmas, they ran a little late and I was able to catch them just in time to mail packages. Not this time. The postal lady shook her head at my hopes and tried to call the main post office to see if theirs had gone out, which she thought probably had. We rushed there anyway, and the postman said he would carry them immediately to the truck that was loading and that they would get there by Valentine Day on Saturday.
When I asked their father Saturday if the children had received their cards, he said he hadn't checked but would call me later, which he did, and no cards! I fought tears of frustration at myself, for I knew they had had a party and valentines at school, and by the time they got mine, they would be meaningless. Besides which, I realized Monday was Presidents Day, and no mail would be delivered.
When we visited them this week, I asked about the cards. Anne-Marie thought she remembered one, but wasn't sure. Maddie knew nothing about them. Turns out she was asleep when they got them from the mailbox, and hadn't seen hers. Of course, one-year-old Isaac was clueless. At least my disappointment was overshadowed by the joy of seeing the kids! (And later I did hear their mother remind them of the crisp, new dollar bills that we sent with the cards.)
God loves us even more than we love our children and grandchildren, and we are told in Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
(7)"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
And we can be sure our prayers are delivered!
The whooshing noise as the image is snatched from the phone and thrown into space reminds me of prayers going up to God. Then the ping from my phone is like a heavenly response, or a message sent to me.
In Bible days, priests burned incense in their religious ceremonies. the rising smoke symbolic of prayers going up to heaven. Revelation 8:3 reads, "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar before the throne.
(4) "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." The following verse says that an angel took the censer, filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth, causing thunder and lightning and an earthquake! Wow! Our prayers must be powerful! The imagery prompts Max Lucado to say that when saints pray, we create an explosion of power!
As believers, we don't have to wonder whether our prayers have been received. I Peter 3:12 says, "For the eyes of the Lord are ever over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers;". However, the rest of the verse carries a warning: "but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."
Our prayers are even more instantaneous than the internet capabilities. And prayer communication is certainly more reliable than US Mail. I had intended to send our small grandchildren Valentines recently, then one day I realized it was only two days until Valentine Day! I hurried to town and selected cute cards for them, knowing that mail usually gets to their home in Houston in two days.
We did a couple errands before making it to the mailing center, where the mail goes out at three o'clock. I hurried in a few minutes past three and asked if the mail had gone out. At Christmas, they ran a little late and I was able to catch them just in time to mail packages. Not this time. The postal lady shook her head at my hopes and tried to call the main post office to see if theirs had gone out, which she thought probably had. We rushed there anyway, and the postman said he would carry them immediately to the truck that was loading and that they would get there by Valentine Day on Saturday.
When I asked their father Saturday if the children had received their cards, he said he hadn't checked but would call me later, which he did, and no cards! I fought tears of frustration at myself, for I knew they had had a party and valentines at school, and by the time they got mine, they would be meaningless. Besides which, I realized Monday was Presidents Day, and no mail would be delivered.
When we visited them this week, I asked about the cards. Anne-Marie thought she remembered one, but wasn't sure. Maddie knew nothing about them. Turns out she was asleep when they got them from the mailbox, and hadn't seen hers. Of course, one-year-old Isaac was clueless. At least my disappointment was overshadowed by the joy of seeing the kids! (And later I did hear their mother remind them of the crisp, new dollar bills that we sent with the cards.)
God loves us even more than we love our children and grandchildren, and we are told in Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
(7)"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
And we can be sure our prayers are delivered!
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Weather Window
Our trip to see our Texas kids was going smoothly on a beautiful, sunshiny, travel-perfect day. We would stay overnight with son Trevor's family before heading on to Houston the next day. However, rain was in the forecast, and we considered keeping on driving while it was still sunny, and stopping at Trevor's on the way back, but we decided against it.
After a lovely evening and meal, and a big breakfast spread the next morning, we were on our way to see our fast-growing, youngest grandchildren, ages 5, 7, and 15 months. It wasn't long till we were seeing overcast skies with puffy, grey, moisture-laden clouds. Still, the weather was mild and the drive was pleasant. We only ran into sporadic showers when we were almost there.
An activity-packed couple of days followed, filled with shopping, eating out, church (at which we got to see our son baptize a family of five), and loving on the grandchildren. We even had the fun of baby-sitting one-year-old Isaac while the rest of the family took in an open-air, stadium service of the famed evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke. The threat of rain, the specter of climbing to stadium seating, and the chance to spend time with our little grandson kept us at home.
With weather reports forecasting snow on Tuesday for Dallas, instead of heading back to Trevor's on Monday to spend the night, we opted to accept son Mark's invitation to go through Austin and stop off there. It's a good thing we did, too, for Dallas received snow and ice that night. Mark and Rhonda gave us the royal treatment with good food, a mini-shopping spree, movie night at home, and home-cooked breakfast before we left.
We had dodged the weather bullet so far, but as we approached Ft. Worth, the overhead digital signs warned: Icy Conditions Exist. Exercise Caution. The roads weren't too bad, though, and I kept a running temperature check on my iPhone. Although they were below freezing, we didn't see much evidence of ice until the metro area. Then the big trucks splashed and spattered our windshield with dirty snow water, and slabs of snow flying off cars and trucks exploded into the air at regular intervals. Pot holes and construction made driving difficult.
Heaving sighs of relief and thanking God for navigating through the obstacles, we were glad to get into Oklahoma. Roads were clear and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. We had elected to keep driving rather than stay overnight at Trevor's again, since more snow was expected and one of their sons had come down with the flu.
This morning Trevor calls with the news that schools and work for them have been cancelled for the third day, with snow coming down steadily outside. We were so glad we didn't miss our window of opportunity to see our sons. I couldn't help but think of the scripture in the Bible about another window of opportunity. Isaiah 55:6 says, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near."
Again, David says in Psalm 32:5, about acknowledging his sin, "...I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. (6) For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found; surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him." May no one miss their window of opportunity.
After a lovely evening and meal, and a big breakfast spread the next morning, we were on our way to see our fast-growing, youngest grandchildren, ages 5, 7, and 15 months. It wasn't long till we were seeing overcast skies with puffy, grey, moisture-laden clouds. Still, the weather was mild and the drive was pleasant. We only ran into sporadic showers when we were almost there.
An activity-packed couple of days followed, filled with shopping, eating out, church (at which we got to see our son baptize a family of five), and loving on the grandchildren. We even had the fun of baby-sitting one-year-old Isaac while the rest of the family took in an open-air, stadium service of the famed evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke. The threat of rain, the specter of climbing to stadium seating, and the chance to spend time with our little grandson kept us at home.
With weather reports forecasting snow on Tuesday for Dallas, instead of heading back to Trevor's on Monday to spend the night, we opted to accept son Mark's invitation to go through Austin and stop off there. It's a good thing we did, too, for Dallas received snow and ice that night. Mark and Rhonda gave us the royal treatment with good food, a mini-shopping spree, movie night at home, and home-cooked breakfast before we left.
We had dodged the weather bullet so far, but as we approached Ft. Worth, the overhead digital signs warned: Icy Conditions Exist. Exercise Caution. The roads weren't too bad, though, and I kept a running temperature check on my iPhone. Although they were below freezing, we didn't see much evidence of ice until the metro area. Then the big trucks splashed and spattered our windshield with dirty snow water, and slabs of snow flying off cars and trucks exploded into the air at regular intervals. Pot holes and construction made driving difficult.
Heaving sighs of relief and thanking God for navigating through the obstacles, we were glad to get into Oklahoma. Roads were clear and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. We had elected to keep driving rather than stay overnight at Trevor's again, since more snow was expected and one of their sons had come down with the flu.
This morning Trevor calls with the news that schools and work for them have been cancelled for the third day, with snow coming down steadily outside. We were so glad we didn't miss our window of opportunity to see our sons. I couldn't help but think of the scripture in the Bible about another window of opportunity. Isaiah 55:6 says, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near."
Again, David says in Psalm 32:5, about acknowledging his sin, "...I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. (6) For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found; surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him." May no one miss their window of opportunity.
Traveling On
Rough Road Ahead, the sign read. In a few moments I knew what it meant. The highway was in bad repair and felt like a washboard. Seemingly, it was being readied for resurfacing. Presently I saw a sign in big red letters saying Follow Detour. We were on a trip and were going through some road construction areas.
Pretty soon, we were notified of Trucks Entering Highway. This route was like a maze. We had come this way to avoid the traffic of going through the city, but keeping up with all the ins and outs, exits and redefined lanes was a challenge. We could never have done it without our GPS.
Wouldn't it be nice, I thought, if the road of life had signs like this warning us of what lay ahead? Maybe we could fortify ourselves to be ready for the rough road coming up--a financial back-set or a relationship break-down. Or if we had a heads-up about the detour in our plans that was about to happen: unexpected illness, a job lay-off or other circumstances beyond our control that made us shelve hopes and dreams indefinitely.
What about the trucks entering life's highway? Some loaded with garbage that we could do without. Others carrying junk that simply weighs us down. Trucks with no clue posted on the side as to what they were hauling, the contents a mystery waiting to change our lives, for better or for worse. Trucks we don't see coming that broadside us and knock us off course.
Finally, though, we would break through to a wide expanse. Traffic flowing smoothly, a chance to look around and enjoy the scenery. Even though it is winter, the farther south we drove, we began to see green grass and trees shrouded in a green mist of budding leaves! It made me think of the encouraging words of Psalm 18:19: "He brought me forth into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me."
Or as it says in Psalm 66:12, "Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water, but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place."
Thank God for our heavenly GPS--God's Positioning System! It may have felt like men were riding over our heads in their fast cars zipping in and out. But even though we don't know the future, just as our auto GPS was always one step ahead of us, alerting us when to keep left, or exit right, God's GPS guides us faithfully though life's journey. There is Light at the end of the tunnel! And there were welcoming loved ones waiting to meet us at the end of our trip!
Pretty soon, we were notified of Trucks Entering Highway. This route was like a maze. We had come this way to avoid the traffic of going through the city, but keeping up with all the ins and outs, exits and redefined lanes was a challenge. We could never have done it without our GPS.
Wouldn't it be nice, I thought, if the road of life had signs like this warning us of what lay ahead? Maybe we could fortify ourselves to be ready for the rough road coming up--a financial back-set or a relationship break-down. Or if we had a heads-up about the detour in our plans that was about to happen: unexpected illness, a job lay-off or other circumstances beyond our control that made us shelve hopes and dreams indefinitely.
What about the trucks entering life's highway? Some loaded with garbage that we could do without. Others carrying junk that simply weighs us down. Trucks with no clue posted on the side as to what they were hauling, the contents a mystery waiting to change our lives, for better or for worse. Trucks we don't see coming that broadside us and knock us off course.
Finally, though, we would break through to a wide expanse. Traffic flowing smoothly, a chance to look around and enjoy the scenery. Even though it is winter, the farther south we drove, we began to see green grass and trees shrouded in a green mist of budding leaves! It made me think of the encouraging words of Psalm 18:19: "He brought me forth into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me."
Or as it says in Psalm 66:12, "Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water, but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place."
Thank God for our heavenly GPS--God's Positioning System! It may have felt like men were riding over our heads in their fast cars zipping in and out. But even though we don't know the future, just as our auto GPS was always one step ahead of us, alerting us when to keep left, or exit right, God's GPS guides us faithfully though life's journey. There is Light at the end of the tunnel! And there were welcoming loved ones waiting to meet us at the end of our trip!
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Cutting Edge
"Ouch!" I yelped. A little pressure on my finger I had cut a few days ago told me it was still sore. My husband had had our kitchen knives sharpened, and this was the second time I cut myself! Not bad, not too much worse than a paper cut, really, and it was painless when it happened, thanks to the precision sharpening. But despite band-aids and antibiotic ointment the first one was slow in healing, and now this one still bothers me. Dishwashing doesn't help, especially when a knife has slipped into the sink!
It's funny how such an insignificant injury on the tip of a finger can affect one's whole outlook! Like they say, the worst (illness, injury) is the one that happens to you! The whole body is connected.
As it says in Paul's teaching on unity in I Corinthians 12:14, "For the body is not one member, but many. (15) If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (16) And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (17) If the whole body were an eye, where the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?"
He goes on to say that all members of the body of Christ, or the church, are dependent on each other. "And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you," (21). Verse 26 says, "And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it."
We all have our part to do, and He gives us different gifts and abilities. "There is one body, and one Spirit...One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you all," Ephesians 4:4-6.
Paul tells us that God gave us apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ," Ephesians 4:11, that we "...may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love," Ephesians 4:15-16.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and born to serve the Lord! And the only sharp thing I really need is the Sword of the Spirit!
It's funny how such an insignificant injury on the tip of a finger can affect one's whole outlook! Like they say, the worst (illness, injury) is the one that happens to you! The whole body is connected.
As it says in Paul's teaching on unity in I Corinthians 12:14, "For the body is not one member, but many. (15) If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (16) And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (17) If the whole body were an eye, where the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?"
He goes on to say that all members of the body of Christ, or the church, are dependent on each other. "And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you," (21). Verse 26 says, "And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it."
We all have our part to do, and He gives us different gifts and abilities. "There is one body, and one Spirit...One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you all," Ephesians 4:4-6.
Paul tells us that God gave us apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ," Ephesians 4:11, that we "...may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love," Ephesians 4:15-16.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and born to serve the Lord! And the only sharp thing I really need is the Sword of the Spirit!
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