Summertime

"Summertime and the livin' is easy..."

Welcome summer! It is finally here! Yet, it seems like only yesterday that we were in the midst of winter, longing for the sunshine and warmth. Now, we have enjoyed a month of mild temperatures through May and early June and summer officially arrives. Please slow down!

"And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years," (Genesis 1:14 NIV).

God spoke to Noah that He would never again destroy all living things upon the earth as He did, saving only Noah and his family and two of each species on the ark.

"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease," (Genesis 8:22 NIV).

So here we are in summertime in Iowa. The corn is growing tall and the flowers are in full bloom. The children are on summer break, riding bikes (and other motorized contraptions I don't know the name of), playing baseball and softball and soccer on every green field in Ankeny. Kids walk down the street with fishing poles and bait in hand, full of hope and delight. The farmer's markets draw crowds of folks anxious to be outside in the sun or even the rain. Anything in the fresh air is beloved.

Oh, God of mercy and grace: thank You for the sunshine and the warmth of summer. We who experience cold winters are overjoyed with summer's arrival. Thank You for creating this land of beauty that we enjoy. Lord, help us have awareness of the wonder of Your creation and help us protect this environment around us in every way we can. We want to do Your will and we ask for Your guidance. In the Name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.

To God be the glory! 

Is it Knee-High?

Yesterday John and I were driving in the outskirts of Ames and we saw a tumbleweed blow across the road. To me it looked like it was three feet tall. (now I know that John will have a completely different measurement. I'll ask him when he gets home and I will note it here.)

Iowa doesn't have tumbleweeds. Not in spring. Not during a rainy season. Not in a city. Usually.

Iowa does have beautiful green fields of corn and beans. And we drove past a field of corn that will be knee high by the 4th of July, because it already is! I think they need to change the old farmers' saying to "neck-high by the 4th of July." After that, they might make the saying according to Victor Wembanyana's 7'4" stature (VM was the tallest man playing in the recent Professional Men's Basketball Tournament Championship.) Currently, the average height for men in the United States is 5'9" (for women it is 5'4"). 

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." (James 1:5-6 NIV).

I know there is little correlation between my text and the Scripture that I chose; however, think back to the tumbleweed - that is blown and tossed by the wind.

Father God, I should have asked You for wisdom before I wrote this blog. But, thank You for forgiving hearts and especially for Yours. Give us wisdom to learn and grow in our faith. Help us appreciate the beauty of our surroundings. You alone are good. Thank You, God. Amen.

To God Be The Glory! 

No Perfection Here

Sometimes I consider all of my past mistakes and I feel sad.  Very sad.  I wish I could have lived a perfect life, but I do know that no one but Christ was perfect. 

When I was in grade school I ran away from home by not riding the bus home. I stayed with a town friend who did not go to her home either. For a few hours we wandered around the town then it got cold when the sun went down. We hid in the school restroom for awhile. Then went to my friend's house.

That is where I learned that I had wonderful parents. I watched my friend be whipped by her father's belt. I felt really bad. They called my parents to come pick me up. I thought I should be spanked also. But, my father did not spank me, even after I begged him to punish me. We talked about what I had done and why it was wrong.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,"       (Philippians 3:7-8 NIV). 

Lord God All Mighty, as I look over my life and the sins I have committed, I bow on my knees, asking for Your forgiveness. Nothing in my past is worthy of any profit, but only my loss. Comparing my wrongs to the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, everything is loss. Thank You, God for Your forgiveness earned through the Lord Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross. I am humbled by Your mercy and grace. Thank You, God for Your love. I pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

To God be the glory!

Praise For the Morning

Poor John. I'm afraid my husband has been putting up with a lot of grumbling lately. He is often stuck at home with me as I heal. Waiting on me at my beacon call. That gets old really fast! I grumble because I'm not supposed to bend over and I forget. When I drop something it is so natural to pick it up. No BLT: bending, lifting, twisting. All good rules for complete healing.

Today is a new day. I will try harder to obey the doctor's orders. That's the way with God's rules, too. How often do I disobey God? Too often. Why can't I get things right? I'm old enough to know better.

"Moses and Aaron said ",...and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble agains us?" (Exodus 16:7 NIV).

My sister gave me a beautiful print that has the words of the song, "Morning Has Broken" on it. What a beautiful way to start the day.

"Morning has broken Like the first morning, Blackbird has spoken Like the first bird. Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them, springing Fresh from the Word! Sweet the rain's new fall On the first grass. Praise for the sweetness Of the wet garden, Sprung in completeness Where His feet pass. Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning Born of the one light Eden saw play! Praise with elation, Praise every morning, God's re-creation Of the new day!"

"Morning Has Broken" (Traditional Gaelic melody, arr. by David Evans 1927, Eleanor Farjeon 1931.)

Gracious and Forgiving God, Thank You for this new morning. Thank You for a new day for me to start fresh to be a better follower of Your Son, Christ Jesus. Guide my steps in Your sunlight so I can be the person You want me to be. Thank You, blessed Lord. I pray in the name of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

To God be the glory! 

"I Will Lift My Hands"

My husband and I sit in the back row at church. My husband chose the location, maybe for a quick escape to the parking lot, I'm not sure. But, I like to worship with my arms, along with the music, I can't stand still when there is music. Music moves me to worship.

Likewise, my arms need to move and being in the back row I don't feel like everyone is watching me. I know it shouldn't matter what other people think but that is one of my problems in life. People-pleasing.I know I should be more concerned with God-pleasing. My worship to God is limited by my surroundings. 

My favorite place to worship is in nature. The beauty of natural surroundings puts me in direct contact with God. As David wrote in Psalm 23, He restores my soul in green pastures, near quiet waters, even through deep valleys. I can raise my arms in true worship when only the clouds and tree tops are above me. That is where I feel God's love the most. 

Unfortunately, I rarely seek those spots. Too busy. Not enough time. Too far away. Come on, we live less than a mile from Saylorville Lake. No excuses.

"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands," (Psalm 63:3-4 NIV).

Thank You, God, for making this Earth so beautiful. I raise my arms to worship You alone. I give You my praise and glorify You, my Father, my King, my Master. Guide me through the valleys and into green pastures where You can fill me with Your love. I pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

To God be the glory!

Show Me Your Purpose

Every time I read one of Paul's books in the Bible I am just blown away. He wrote 13 books of the New Testament. He traveled more than 10,000 miles planting churches, by foot or by boat. He was shipwrecked three times, was set adrift at sea, beaten, stoned and locked away in prisons.

Before he was converted, he passionately persecuted  the early Christians. Paul met a bright light on his way to arrest Christians in Damascus. He heard Christ speak, was blinded and later healed by Ananias. He was baptized and immediately began preaching that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. His passion was shifted from being a Christian persecutor to Christian professor. God took his evil life and made it for good. 

Paul's strong background in Jewish education under one of the finest teachers available, Gamaliel, became a huge benefit to him when he met Jesus. Once he was converted to Christianity by Christ himself, he was never the same. His life was lived for Jesus and for spreading the Good News, especially to the Gentiles, who were once considered by the Jews to be unacceptable to God. Paul dedicated much of his life to assuring the Gentiles they were worthy. 

No matter what sin lies in our personal histories, God can and will use our faithful-selves for His holy purpose.

"With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith," (2 Thessalonians 1:11 NIV). 

Oh, God and Father of us all, thank You for touching each of us, like Paul, with Your calling. Help us see clearly our purpose during this time and place. Use Your power to work Your good purpose through every action we take according to our faith in You. Praying in Jesus' name, Amen.

Whose Voice Do You Hear?

I loved this time of year on the farm. The grass was green and the purple iris were blooming along the driveway . Baby lambs had turned into show lamb weight, after being weighing in several months ago. And now the hard work of 4-Hers and FFA members kicks into high gear:The exercising. The precise feeding (down to teaspoons full).and fresh water. The washing and drying. The shearing.  The constant attack against ringworm and fungus. The daily cleaning of pens. Then do it again tomorrow and tomorrow...

It always amazed me how the lambs would respond to their shepherd. If I was left to feed the sheep in John's (rare) absence, they looked at me with suspicious eyes. They backed up in the far corner of the pen. That gave me enough time to begin filling the feeding trough, just ahead of the sheep stampede for food. Hunger definitely takes precedence over fear.

"The sheep listen to the sheperd's voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, He goes on ahead of them. and his sheep follow him because they know his voice," (John 10:3b-4 NIV).

Somewhere this week an article asked, "Whose voice do you listen to?" I pondered the time I spend scrolling on Facebook. What amount of time do I listen to Christian music? What amount of time do I spend in prayer, Bible-reading, Bible-study, just listening to God? Not enough.

Dear God, our Holy One: we lift our voices to give You our praise and glory! Thank You for being the voice we want to hear. Block out the clutter and noise and speak to us, we pray. We listen in the name of Jesus. Amen.