God's Handiwork

I'm always amazed at the talents of others. God has created us all so different. We have our own skills that shine out. It is God's handiwork in each of us that makes us individuals. He has given us special gifts to use.

Perhaps you are like my daughter-in-law who is good at everything she does. She is a wonderful cook and she knits the most beautiful blankets and she is crafty, making all sorts of beautiful things.

Maybe you have one special gift with which you shine. For instance our neighbor raises tomatoes and shares them with us each summer. He has a gift of gardening. My husband, John has a gift of carpentry and precision tool work as he was a tool and die maker in his days before being a sales engineer and Vice President in charge of the sales force.

There are others with gifts in childcare, teaching, baking chocolate chip cookies, nursing, sales, photography, banking, lawn care, dry wall, painting, building, wood working, finances, music, growing indoor plants, raising flowers, quilting, data processing, marketing, flower arranging, graphic designing, grand parenting, waiting tables, cooking, parenting, volunteering, reading, cleaning, farming, raising animals, pet lovers, and so many more.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do," (Ephesians 2:10 NIV). 

Do what God has given you to do today and be thankful for His gifts.

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God," (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).

I love this verse and it's reminder to focus on Jesus. It reminds me of an old hymn, "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus", written by Helen H. Lemmel in 1922. The words are comforting to anyone in any stage of life, going through any challenge or struggle.

"O soul are you weary and troubled, No light in the darkness you see, There's light for a look at the Savior, And life are abundant and free,

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.

His word shall not fail you, he promised, Believe him and all will be well, Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.

O Soul are you weary and troubled, No light in the darkness you see, There's light for a look at the Savior And life more abundant and free.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace."

Wishing you a day when "the things of earth grow strangely dim" and the sight of Jesus is bright and strong. Blessings.

775

One Step at a Time

Friday I spent the day going through appointments at Mayo Clinic for my hand. It has an ulnar deviation and misplaced tendons across the top of my hand. I've been trying to find the cause of the problem and a solution for it.  I had blood work done, an ultrasound of my hand, meeting with a rheumatologist and then a second meeting with a hand surgeon. Then finally, they ordered an MRI of my hand at 5 pm. The doctors will review the MRI and get back to me.

Most of you have probably had an MRI of something. The hand MRI was a little strange. I had to lie on my stomach with my arm over my head. They packed my hand into a large tube so it so it couldn't move and the process began. I've always wondered how the machine works with all the pounding sounds and magnets. Isn't it amazing, all the tools doctors have at their fingertips?

No matter what you are facing, Jesus is there with you, holding you close and loving you. Trust in Him, believe in Him, accept His peace and comfort, and He will see you through every cross-bearing situation.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us," (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).

Run with perseverance the race marked out for us; that is our goal for today. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time is all we need to do. May your feet be nimble and your pathways be clear today. Amen. 

A Time for Everything

This week I was reminded of my mother's last year. A friend is facing the loss of two beloved members of her family. Too much loss for one week, I'd say. Yet, she endures. Her strength is remarkable.

When my mother had congestive heart failure she was on oxygen and was limited to what she could do. At the time I didn't acknowledge that she was dying. I cherished each moment with her and remember one day she grasped my face with her hands and kissed me. It was such a special moment I can still relive it in my mind.

Life does come to an end for all of us and we don't know when that day will come; only God knows that date.

I miss my mother so much. She was a wonderful woman and special to every person who knew her. She was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and friend. There are times my grief is as fresh as it was 23 years ago, when she died. 

Life does go on and sorrow is always a part of it.

I guess this week I cry for my friend for I know how much loss hurts. Peace be with you, friend.

I share her favorite scripture. The same one we placed part of on a rock of remembrance for my mother.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV).

A Dream for Today

Today is honored as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He was a man filled with dreams for a country not separated by race. Even today we hold his dream up as a possibility for the future. His quotes are as real today as they were more than 50 years ago.

"Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream," Martin Luther King, Jr. 

"You can kill the dreamer, but you can't kill the dream," Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident', that all men are created equal," Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low. The rough places will be plain and the crooked places will be made straight,"and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together," Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character," Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today let us remember the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. and let them be our hope and our dream for the future. 

Build Others Up

People are tired of the threat of COVID and now with the new variant running rampant, wearing a mask is back to being important. Life has been stressful during the last two years and people are just tired. If ever we need something to build us up, it is now. It is our job as Christians to reach out to others and make them feel loved and valued.

We can help others feel better by what we say and do. Our words can touch others in a way that changes how their day is going. A cheerful hello is always welcome and a smile (if you are free of a mask) can really brighten their world. Speaking words of kindness bless others, too. Spoken or written words can alter a mood by bringing happiness into a life.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you," (Ephesians 4:29, 32 NIV). 

May we use every opportunity we are given today to spread encouragement through our words and actions. It may change the world for another person.

Focus on the Eternal

Have you ever noticed how fleeting a sunrise or sunset is? I notice it because I've tried to take a photo of one and sometimes by the time I grab my camera the view is different or gone.It's that way with children, too. A tiny baby comes home and before we know it the baby is crawling and sitting up, and then walking and talking. They grow so fast! 

The scripture that follows may seem depressing at first but it actually gives us hope for the future. It tells us that our troubles are fleeting and are building up an eternal glory for us. Or "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger!" 

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV). 

Be encouraged. Even though our earthly bodies are falling apart, inwardly we are renewed each day. Our small troubles earn for us an eternal glory that is bigger than all our troubles put together. So fix our eyes on what is unseen for that is what is forever!

Have a blessed day!

Let Your Light Shine

Letting our light shine to others, the light of Jesus in our life, is a goal of every Christian. But do we always succeed in putting forth that light? Perhaps not on those bad days when everything has gone wrong and we are tired of the world and just want to get home in a hurry. Perhaps then we react to our circumstances instead of releasing the love of God. But if we could only pause and pray, "Lord, make me Your light," our whole attitude will change and we can embrace our goal and let our light shine.

God's light is in us always. All we have to do is dig down a bit and find that shining ball of God's love and release it through a smile, a warm "hello", or a thoughtful gesture. A little kindness goes such a long way toward brightening someone else's day.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven," (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV).

Let's make today a day of shining brightly. Smile at everyone you see, or if you are wearing your mask, give a gentle wave, acknowledging the other person's presence. That may be all that person needs to make it a good day.

Clean Hands, Pure Heart

A new year and a blank slate to fill. How bad can we be just three days into the year? Well, James minces no words in reminding us that we are all sinners and need to draw nearer to God. As the brother of Jesus, James has seen the bad of the world and seeks to awaken us to awareness of how easy it is to fall into a trap that Satan has set for us.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up," (James 4:7-10).

At first read of this scripture it seems rather bold and depressing, but if we remember James' goal for his book, how to do Christianity, we see that he is just trying to help us become better Christians. After we mourn our sins and humble ourselves before God, He will lift us up. That is a good start for a new year.

After two years of a pandemic we should be wholly aware of having clean hands! With hand sanitizer around every corner, we are constantly cleaning our hands to prevent germs. That is a good habit we have gotten into.

We can purify our hearts by confessing our sins and accepting God's grace and forgiveness. A fresh start, a clean heart.

May the new year be a blessing as we walk with God and encourage each other in faith.