Hopefulness

This week Iowa has gone from snow-covered tundra to thawing gray that comes before the beauty of spring. There is hope! Winter has been long. Probably because we are still stuck inside with no place to go - observing social distancing and wearing face masks. COVID shots are being given so there is even more hope. Will we ever be normal again? No, probably we are experiencing what will be a new normal. There is hope.

The geese have also experienced a transformation this week. They spent Monday searching everywhere for grass and something to eat. By Tuesday a few spots of grass had been revealed and they fought over the small areas of dry lawn. Then yesterday the pond had water open and they were happy geese again. Even as I was going to bed last night I heard the geese chattering on the pond. It's unusual for them to be on the pond at night. They were happy geese filled with hope.

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently," (Romans 8:25 NIV).

In one more month spring will officially arrive on the calendar. Iowa will no doubt experience a little more winter before then but it won't last long now. There is hope. We can wait patiently for what we do not yet have. Anyway, we will try to be patient. Scripture tells us to hope for what we do not have. Have hope. Spring is getting closer everyday.

May God bless you with a hope-filled heart as we approach a new month.

Dreaming

What is your dream for the next step in your life? Getting older, my dreams are less dramatic or big as a younger person's. But they don't have to be. Mark Batterson said in his book, Win The Day, "Show me the size of your dream and I'll show you the size of your God."

Our dreams can be as big as we want. If there is something we really want to do, or be, or a place we really want to go, we should plan for it to happen. And pray. Not that God will flash His powerful arm and it will instantly be true but God on your side is the best way to start.

In the Bible God uses dreams often to bring a message to one of His faithful followers. Joseph, of the Old Testament, was given a gift of interpreting dreams and it helped him get a better job under Pharaoh. It also helped him save his family from the famine and thousands more people by stockpiling food during good years.

Dreams came to another Joseph in the New Testament, Mary's husband. He received dreams to tell him it was truly a baby from the Holy Spirit that Mary was carrying. (Matthew 1:20-21). Joseph received another dream to warn him of the danger of Herod wanting to kill his son. Joseph took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. (Matthew 2:13-14 NIV).

Don't be afraid to dream big. God can make the impossible happen. Maybe our dreams are in God's plan for our life! If we talk to Him about our dreams we can discern if the dream is one God wants for us, too. Dream on.

"For nothing is impossible with God," (Luke 1:37 NIV).

Temptations

The Lenten season is here. Yesterday was Ash Wednesday so it is 39 days till Palm Sunday. People sometimes give up something for the days of Lent. And Catholics sometimes give up meat on Fridays during Lent. I don't know the history behind these practices but they both make us more mindful of what Christ did for us - dying on the cross for our Salvation.

Reading the Bible every day is another way to be mindful of Jesus, our Savior. I started a read-the-Bible-in-a-year plan again this year and I'm actually ahead of the reading schedule. It is a chronological read of the Bible so it skips around a little. Reading the Word everyday brings God closer. I'm amazed at the Old Testament experiences the people had with God. Still they made mistake after mistake in their lives. 

Just like us today. We make mistakes; we sin; we mess up but now we have Jesus to wipe away our sins. In our human weakness we are never perfect but Jesus makes it possible to have a relationship with God in spite of our sins. Jesus makes all the difference. 

I love the following scripture because it explains that Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted to sin. But Jesus resisted all temptation. He was the perfect human. And because He was human He understands our weaknesses. No matter how we are tempted, God provides a way out. If we call on Him.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need," (Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV).

Lord, help us come to You on our knees when we have sinned. Lift us up with Your mercy and grace and bless us in our weaknesses. We love You, Lord. Amen.

A Fleeting Life

 I love to take pictures. Just ask my family. I have dozens of photo albums filled with pictures I've taken. Most are of family but there are a good share of landscapes and flowers and sheep. Lots of sheep. Since 2015 I have no photo albums. All my photos are digital and on my computer. 

Someday I should probably print out some of the best and fill up more photo albums. The biggest draw was grand babies and I  have hundreds of photos of my grandchildren as babies. They were beautiful babies. My last grand baby will be eight next month. There is a correlation.

So as I look at some of the photos I wish that the babies didn't grow up so fast. Yet they offer so much and are so much fun as they get older with their own ideas and experiences to share. Life is as God intended. 

I sometimes wish I wasn't getting older with all the aches and pains I have. But I know God has numbered my days and life will end when it is time. Meanwhile I will enjoy my days and cherish the moments we share with grandchildren, children, friends and other family.

"Show me, O lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath," (Psalm 39:4-5 NIV).

Lord, please bless each person who reads this with a beautiful day of living. Amen.

Everlasting Love

Valentine's Day is coming. In Iowa it is to be the coldest day of the year with double-digits below zero. What a day to cuddle at home with my love. How will you spend Valentine's Day? Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to be with her/his loved one. There will be many lonely hearts on Sunday.

Thank goodness for children and grandchildren who fill the heart that is aching and lonely. Valentine's Day will be a lonely day for some. My heart goes out to those who feel alone and sad. I am reminded of my mother's traditional Valentine's Day gift of heart-shaped cakes with pink frosting. Or the Valentine's Day my husband gave me towels. He has made up for that a hundred times over!

Life isn't always easy. That is one reason I created this blog years ago. I wanted to bring encouragement to others and remind them of the love of Jesus Christ. Our God is always present, always loving, always good. When our hearts feel empty we can always fill up on love through Jesus Christ, our Savior. 

"The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness," (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV). 

We are never alone. God is always with us and He loves us. We can turn to Him any time we are in need of love. His heart overflows with love for you and me. His love is everlasting.

God's blessings to you this Valentine's Day.

If I Only Have Love

 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all  I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing," (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV).

Love is the most important gift we can give anyone. The scripture says no matter what we do, if it isn't done with love in our hearts, it is worthless. Consider the love in our hearts and how we treat others on a regular day, do we show love? With our face masks we can not show love through a smile unless it is reflected in our eyes. However the act of wearing a mask does show love toward others by protecting others.

Even the kindest offerings to others are nothing if they are given without love. Love shows sincerity and genuineness and makes the smallest gift feel wonderful. Love touches the heart. Love surrounds the body with a hug even when hugs can't be given. Love seeps into empty crevices and fills them up. Love lifts up the soul from the depths of lows to the highest highs. It is like superman on steroids! Love is whispers that generate goose-bumps. Nothing is better than love.

May we fill this week with evidence of love in all that we do and say. May we make someone else's days better by showing love. And may your days be filled with love.

The Beauty of Utah

During our two trips to Utah we fell in love with the National Parks there. It is a beautiful state and it is filled with diverse landscapes and such amazing views, and we never made it to Salt Lake City. The landscapes are immense and it takes lots of driving to see all the Parks. The Arches, Bryce Canyon, the Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National Parks all deserve a full day of exploring each. But with my driver we saw at least two a day in spite of the long miles between. 

God outdid Himself when He was creating Utah. One of our favorite areas was the Capitol Reef. The rocks are beautiful variations of blues and pinks cut by the Fremont River forming sharp cliffs that gracefully bow over the water. 

The Arches are just as they sound, rock formations that become arches in the sandy red and white rock. Bryce Canyon is filled with spires and pinnacles that jut up in mass from the ground. I can't imagine being a pioneer and running into these dramatic landscapes! 

The Canyonlands are miniature Grand Canyons of sort. The canyons are cut through the sandstone leaving deep valleys with little civilization nearby. Zion National Park is viewed from the valley looking up at the giant buttresses that are beautiful red and white rock. The high peaks shadow the area much of the day.

It is amazing to see such variety all within the borders of one state. It is evidence of God's amazing creativity. In the same way God sent His Son to earth to show us His amazing love. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him," (John 3:16-17 NIV). 

#675

Burr Trail Adventure Pt. 2

 We looked at the pigeon-toed vehicle and thanked God the tie rod didn't break while we were turning around on the cliff. We had some water and snacks with us. We had lots of unknowns. Who traveled on this road and how often do they come by? We had no cell phone so we walked back to the intersection where there were signs to read them. The "Flood Area" stood out the most. We thought if people took the other fork in the road they would never notice us. So we used one of John's white t-shirts to write "Help" on it and hung it over the sign. Then we joined hands and prayed for someone to come by and help us.

The sun was setting; majestic and completely silent. We climbed into the broken SUV totally confused. Why did the sign point to Boulder if the road ended? It got cooler as the sun set. Then at 8:30 p.m. we heard a noise behind us. Two women appeared in a car. John bolted out to greet them. They were German nannies driving from Boulder. John asked "Where did you come from?" 

They gladly took the trail marker number so they could call a ranger and get us help. It would be at least two hours before they reached a phone- and then would they come in the dark? We expected to wait all night in the desert. We noticed lightning in the distance.

About 12:30 a.m. we heard a rumble and suddenly the sky exploded with light and a large tow truck, pulling a flat bed trailer appeared out of the dark. "Hi, I'm Carl. I'm sorry it took so long. I ran into a terrible storm up north and had to take the long way around." We stared at him in delight. John helped him load the SUV and we were off on the same road we had brought into the valley. I was thankful it was dark so I couldn't see the potholes and sharp curves and cliffs.

We ended up spending the rest of the night in a rough little motel in Hanksville, Utah. It was another year before we finally came back to Utah to find out why the road ended. This time we came from Boulder and drove 32 miles on a narrow blacktopped road before it turned to the dusty dirt road we remembered. We

saw a sign "All vehicles use low gear". There it was, the slanted rock we had seen. We look over the trail's edge and 1,000 feet below was the rough trail that came to an end. The path made a sharp "V" turn that seemed to disappear into the mountain. We carefully drove down the hillside and pondered what would have happened if the tie-rod had broken on that steep grade. God was with us. We believe He kept us from seeing the road and kept the storm 60 miles north of our flood area, too.

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy," (Psalm 126:3 NIV).