Tell-Tale Signs

"So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD." Ezekiel 24:27b

Okay, I hope I can safely say that this will be my last blog post about Special K Chocolatey Delight! I just keep "tasting and seeing" that the Lord is good...and that He speaks to our hearts...and in our language. This "message" from the Lord is a little quirky...but here goes!

Yes, so I had finished my snack of Special K Chocolatey Delight. Oh, so yummy. A little bit later I went to brush my teeth before bed. I happened to examine my teeth in the mirror before I began. I just had to laugh! I had little chocolate "leftovers" in between several of my teeth. That was a lovely sight! (I don't think I'll be eating those in front of guests!) I have to wonder, did John and Melea see that and just not say anything????

Yeah, there was a tell-tale sign of what I had been eating. It showed!

In Psalm 119:97-103, we read, "Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey Your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey Your Word. I have not departed from Your laws, for You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

I pray that there are visible signs that I have been savoring His Word. I pray that there is evidence of the fruit of His Spirit within me...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22,23 I pray that "My lips overflow with praise...and my tongue sings of [His] Word." Psalm 119:171-172

Lord, increase my hunger and thirst for You. Fill me with Your Word...the only true means of satisfaction. Help me to bear evidence of Your presence within me. Help others to be able to SEE Your love shining through me. Thank You for Your Word...for Your whisperings in our hearts and minds...for the little lessons that You want us to learn and remember...even through silly "signs."

Still Enjoying the GOOD land...and Had My Manna for the Day!

"...He rained down manna for the people to eat, He gave them the grain of heaven." Psalm 78:24 (NIV)

Mmmm, I feel like I've tasted the grain of heaven this morning...and not just my Special K Chocolatey Delight! It was wonderful...and I'm really thankful that I didn't have to gather it off the ground as did the Israelites with the manna...however, how cool would that be to step back in time and physically observe that miracle of daily provision and partake of the "food of the angels"!

Even more than the Special K Chocolatey Delight that I enjoyed for breakfast, I'm talking about savoring the "manna" of His Word. Psalm 90:14 says, "Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." It would not be good for me...or my waistline...to overeat even Special K (a healthy choice...with chocolate!!). However, I can indulge in His Word..."Taste and see that the LORD is good." (Psalm 34:8) for hours, and rather than gaining pounds, grow in peace, knowledge, wisdom, grace, love...and find true satisfaction.

Oh, I want to stay hungry and thirsty for Him! And I want to be obedient and do my part in gathering the manna...daily...that He has laid before me!

Lord, whet my appetite for Your Word! Let me find the satisfaction that only You can give! And Lord, let me live in a way that satisfies You. I love you dearly! Help me to walk...every step of the way...in Your power and love.

I keep thinking of the old hymn by B.B. McKinney (who wrote so many great hymns!)

Satisfied With Jesus

I am satisfied with Jesus, He has done so much for me:

He has suffered to redeem me, He has died to set me free.

He is with me in my trials, Best of friends of all is He;

I can always count on Jesus, Can He always count on me?

I can hear the voice of Jesus, Calling out so pleadingly,

"Go, and win the lost and straying," Is He satisfied with me?

When my work on earth is ended, And I cross the mystic sea,

Oh, that I could hear Him saying, "I am satisfied with thee."

Chorus

I am satisfied, I am satisfied, I am satisfied with Jesus,

But the question comes to me, As I think of Calvary,

Is my Master satisfied with me?

Satisfied

"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land He has given you." Deut. 8:10 (NIV)

I'm up...way past my bedtime...and I feel the need to confess something before I hit those freshly washed sheets. I have an addiction. Yes, it's true. I don't know that I've ever felt this way before. I'm up this late because I had to wait for my "fix." My hubby (who loves to grocery shop...and typically late at night) is enabling me...Yes, that's true too!...although messing with my sleep schedule!

It was pretty much all I could think about while he was gone. Finally he arrived home with the goods! (And he got them at a great price!!! They were 2 for $5 and he had $1 off coupon!!) Uh-huh, my man loves me...and a good deal! He bought not just one, but four boxes of Special K Chocolatey Delight...and Mmmmm, it is truly a delight!!! (They should hire me as their spokesperson!) The flakes are oh so crunchy...just the right amount of sweetness...and then the chocolate pieces...I even drink every drop of the milk that is left in the bowl. Yum-O!!

Now, I know I am taking the above verse out of context...and not making some great spiritual point...but I hope to tomorrow!

Meanwhile...
Thank you Lord that I have eaten and am satisfied. And thank you for the GOOD land that you have given me...a summer wide open for time with You, a screened in porch with comfy furniture to enjoy cool breezes and bird song, Your Word to inspire and guide me, family, friends, a faithful dog...and more Special K Chocolately Delight in the morning!

Words of WARNING!

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

Disclaimer: I love God's creatures. I even love squirrels...cousins to groundhogs, which I collect...not the taxidermy kind, but little "plush" stuffed animals. I just don't like squirrels eating the food that I buy for the birds...which I really, really love! I don't want to kill the squirrels...just scare them off. As Melea says, "What would we do with a backyard full of dead squirrels?" I am not in favor of guns! In fact my grown children are shocked and appalled that I am a gun owner. Life takes funny turns. I am careful with my BB gun.

Okay, I confess. I'm armed...but not too dangerous. Smile. For Mother's Day, I got a BB gun. Smile again. My husband now calls me "Annie Oakley". Melea and I even checked out a book about her from the public library....teachable moments. Smile.

Well, yesterday a squirrel dared to come to my bird feeder. My hubby grabbed the gun (Yes, we keep the "safety" on, and have discussed gun rules with Melea.) and quietly headed outside. With one shot, he hit that bird food thief right in the rear end! It was like something from a cartoon to watch that squirrel run like lightning through the trees!

This morning, when I got up, once again we had unwanted guests at the birdfeeder. I grabbed my Red Rider, released the safety, cocked that baby, took aim...and shot! I'm not sure if I hit the squirrel (I know I came close!), but he took off!

So, I've been wondering if they go and warn the others. I heard some chattering back and forth as I sat on my porch this morning. One of them sounded as if he might have been in pain. I felt a little bad.

Then I thought, do we spread the word when a cry of warning is needed??? If God has "shot" us a jolt of reprimand or conviction...and we "learned the lesson," don't we have the responsibility to alert those around us of the danger?

Lesson of the Day
Is there something that we are partaking of...indulging in...that doesn't "belong" to us as children of a Holy Father? I'm not talking about actual food, but the "food" of our thought life. What are we filling our minds with? Is it Truth...not just God's Truth, in His Word, but just regular truth. Do we listen to the enemy's lies? The world's lies? As Christians we have the power to be overcomers in our thought life! We have been given "the mind of Christ"! (1 Cor. 2:16) We need to pray to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor. 10:5)

Our thought lives must be carefully managed. Our thoughts determine our "heart." And "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart....For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Oh what power we have in our mouths. Just read through the book of James! In fact in James 3:10, we are reminded, "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My [sisters] this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?"

Paul told us in Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up...." Unwholesome talk doesn't just mean curse words, but any words that flow from a critical spirit...critical thoughts...a critical heart.

Oh, Jesus Christ, please take our every thought captive to Your Truth! Please renew our minds...and help our bodies...our mouths to be sacrifices spilled out in a way that honors You and furthers Your kingdom. Thank you for your mercy and your grace. Thank you for teaching us, for correcting us, for trusting us as temples of Your Spirit. Please make us worthy.

Thanks to those of you who have written to encourage me out of my blog delinquency! Thanks for missing me! Summer is here! I'm back!

Hang On...and Keep Looking Up!

"God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

Okay, so if you've read my past posts, you know I've often pondered buying a BB Gun to battle our backyard enemy...the squirrel...who just loves our bird food. However, today I just had to share a few words of inspiration...yes...by following the example of that bushy-tailed sunflower seed eater!

At one time or another we've received the same basic cry for help from each of our girls...and I mean "cry" in the literal sense. It may have been at exam time, near the due date for some huge report, in a relationship crisis, or some other stressor, that we hear sobs and the words, "I can't do this!"

I believe that each of us have probably uttered those exact words. I know I have...more than once...in the span of my (almost) 50 years. Our circumstances can often overwhelm and defeat us. We can be blindsided by curves that life can throw. But we must not give up! Nevah, nevah! (Winston Churchill)

We have got to hold on...even if with our very toenails! (Look back at the squirrel.) What do we hold onto? Truth! God's Word. We have got to be tenacious in seeking guidance, strength, comfort, and peace that only God can give us. He is our Rock, our Fortress, and our Deliverer! (Psalm 18:2)

No matter how heavy the burden, no matter how tough the fight, we've got to keep "looking up." (If a squirrel can do it, surely we can!) We must keep our eyes on Him...the perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

Our Heavenly Father, thank You for Your presence...for Your Holy Spirit that lives in us. Lord, help us to cling to you. Help us to seek You first (Matt. 5:33) and keep pressing on...day by day...hour by hour...minute by minute... through the help of Your Word. And when we aren't inclined to look up, please be the lifter of our heads. Thank you for your great love and compassion.

A Word from "Dirt"

"Oh Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in revering Your Name. Give Your servant success today by granting him favor...." Nehemiah 1:11a (NIV)

The words from the heading of Beth Moore's devotional on April 17 (In Praying God's Word-Day*By*Day...fabulous book) said, "Without the Potter, clay is just dirt." Those words struck a chord with me...and have stuck with me. Oh, let me just say...from one who is purely dirt...that I am so thankful to have The Potter living in me!

God really "granted me some favor" this week as He heard and answered my feeble prayer for help! My class (of adorable kindergarteners) had gone outside to play. I glanced at my lesson plans to see what I needed to accomplish in the remainder of the day. I still had the Bible lesson to teach. That is one of my favorite things to do! Seeing those little 5 (& 6) year old faces respond to the truths in God's Word...eyes wide open...and sometimes their mouths...as they drink in every detail. (Oh, that we could be that way!) Most of the subjects that we focus on are stories that we tend to know by heart...Adam & Eve, Noah, Joseph, Moses, and so on. I have lots of picture books and other resources to share with the students.

However, as I saw in my plans that day, the lesson was on Nehemiah. I thought, "Hmmm, now what do I know about Nehemiah? There was that building the wall thing. Just what did happen to that wall anyway?" I went to my shelf of resources...nothing. I glanced back at my lesson plans. The only thing written there was, "Include Nehemiah's prayer." Okay, that was a start. I got my Bible and turned to the book of Nehemiah. Fortunately Nehemiah's prayer was right there at the beginning of the first chapter.

"O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love him and obey His commands, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer Your servant is praying before You day and night for Your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against You. We have acted very wickedly toward You. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws You gave Your servant Moses."
"Remember the instruction You gave Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.'"
"They are Your servants and Your people, whom You redeemed by Your great strength and Your mighty hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in revering Your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man."

I quickly lifted my own version of that prayer up to the Lord. I asked Him to grant me favor...although I didn't deserve it...and help me to share the truths of His Word. Would you believe that He gave me a three point "sermon" and a great story at the end? (You must understand that my Daddy and my husband are among the greatest preachers out there!! I've had the privilege of "sitting under" the best teaching around!!!)

Here are His highlights!
1. Nehemiah started his prayer with the recognition of who God is..."great and awesome!"
2. Nehemiah confessed his sin...and that of the Israelites.
3. Nehemiah reminded God of His promises...His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands. (Did God need the reminder? No, but we need to recount those promises for ourselves.) He asked God to grant him success on acting on behalf of those people and show him favor as he went to the king.

God just blessed me with His Word...and equipped me to share it with His children. Precious.

Oh! And for the great story at the end...it was fun to share about the Nehemiah's job...as "cupbearer" to the king...a yummy job...but one with huge risk!

As I was wrapping up, I glanced to the end of chapter 2 and saw the words, "The God of heaven will give us success." (v. 20) I breathed a prayer of thanks...for His faithfulness. He took this "dirt" and shaped a lesson for little hearts (and that includes my own).

Father, You are truly "great and awesome"...and so gracious and merciful! Lord, forgive us for forgetting just how faithful You are. Forgive me for the depths of my sin. And, Lord, thank You for washing it away...and keeping Your covenant of love. Thank you for Your Spirit that indwells us and equips us to be the vessels You intended. Please continue to show us Your favor as we seek to do Your will.

"Is She Here Yet?"

"We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8

"Is she here yet?" Melea kept asking. Her big sister, Carrie (and her husband, Todd), were coming home for the weekend. Carrie had called to say that they were about 10 minutes away...however the rush hour traffic would prove her wrong. So, Melea kept asking, "Is she here yet?" And I kept getting up and walking over to the windows to see. The "10 minutes" became an hour. We watched...and we waited for a long time. Melea never tired of asking, "Is she here yet?"

While we were waiting, I was struck with the sweetest thought.

Our dear friend and relative, Mrs. Annabelle Smith, went home to be with the Lord on Good Friday. Her body had held the most beautiful spirit for over 92 years, and it was time for that "earthly tent" to be laid to rest and her spirit to move on to a new home...a heavenly one. Miss Annabelle was the most joyful person I've ever known. She loved freely and fully...her family, her friends, and our Lord. No matter what her circumstance, no matter how feeble her body became...or how many blood transfusions she needed...she fought valiantly, no matter what fiery trial she faced, she walked victoriously and she maintained an attitude of thankfulness and praise. She loved being on this earth, but I believe that in those last days she was "longing to be clothed with [her] heavenly dwelling." (2 Cor. 5:2)

As we waited for Carrie, I had the most precious vision. I could almost see those who had "gone before" Mrs. Annabelle, along with all the angels, and Jesus, her Lord, whispering to each other, "Is she here yet?" I chuckled to think of the question being asked over and over...and all of them watching and waiting...on the "big front porch" of heaven. (Remember the hymn "Softly and Tenderly Jesus is calling, Calling for you and for me; See on the portals"...sounds like a big white columned front porch to me!... "He's waiting and watching, watching for you and for me. Come home, come home, Ye who are weary come home.") Yes, I believe that they kept asking...and watching...and waiting...until that sweet face with that wonderful smile and her twinkling eyes finally appeared. I know there was a grand celebration upon her arrival...and lots of shouting, "She's here!!"

We miss her here. But I know that she is surely preferring being "at home" with her Lord. And I think that she'll be one of the best watchers, waiters, and whisperers asking, "Is she here yet?" when it's our turn! Oh, we love you, Mrs. Annabelle!

Our heavenly Father, you must surely enjoy having Mrs. Annabelle with you! Hug her for us! We thank you that we have been "given...the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Cor. 5:5) for us who believe...that we know that we'll see her again...and that we, too, will rejoice in Your presence! Thank you for waiting, for watching, and for calling us to come home.