The Harvest Moon

The full moon will appear tomorrow night. Last night it was big and bright and high in the sky. I love seeing the moon in its different stages, but especially when it is full. It brings me closer to God, the Creator of all things. I'm always amazed at how much light the full moon has. When we lived on our acreage there would be times I needed to be outside to take the garbage can down to the end of the lane, or to mail a letter. I didn't need a flashlight when the moon was full. I could easily make my way with the moonlight.

"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, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night," (Genesis 1:14-16 NIV). 

The full moon closest to the fall equinox is often called the Harvest Moon. The big moon provides extra light for farmers harvesting their crops. For three nights in a row the big moon rises at about the same time  in the evening, near dusk, so the farmers can continue their work.

Thank you, Lord, for the light You provide. Thank you for the beauty of the moon in the night sky. May we pause and think of You as we see the beautiful moon You created. Amen.

Our Strong Tower

Last week on the local news there was a story about the problems that Stuart, Iowa, was having with their new water tower. First, the painters left a letter out of the name Stuart on the new tower. Then, as they began to use the new water tower they found that it was built too tall. Because they wanted to use both the old and the new towers the water level had to be the same in both towers. The new tower was too high so its capacity was reduced. Evidently there was a clerical error in the tower blueprints.

The town of Stuart was still trying to figure out the solution to their dilemma, last I heard.

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe," (Proverbs 18:10 NIV).

When I imagine the Lord's name as a strong tower I first think of a safe place, like a tornado shelter. Here in the Central US we must have a secure place to go to in the event of a derecho or a tornado. It is usually underground where we are protected from strong winds destroying the property around us.

But, God's name, as a strong tower, stands tall and powerful against any danger. All the righteous must do is call out the Lord's name, run to Him and be safe. How wonderful! How marvelous!

Lord, thank You for being our strong tower, the One we can run to and be safe. Help us always to seek You in our troubles and in our fears. In You alone we find our confidence and security. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.

Families

Today is a special day. Four sisters are getting together. It has been many months since we last gathered. Two of my sisters have birthdays this week and one of the birthdays is today! It is always a time of laughter and care. We share many of the same memories and care about many of the same people. There is an unspoken understanding between us that creates a beautiful bond. Today we will celebrate our sisterly love.

There are 20 years and 10 months between the first and the last daughter born to Corwin and Clara Springer. Their only son, Gerald, died suddenly of an unknown cause when he was 19 years old. It was perhaps an aneurism or an undetected heart issue; no one seems to know for sure. His loss is a sorrow we sisters all carry with us. We also share the pain of a sister who is now a widow. Our hearts all ache for the loss of our brother-in-law and the ongoing loss our sister feels.

Not all that the sisters share is painful. We also share joys! The marriages in the family have been celebrations; first our children and next our grandchildren, and the births of grandchildren and great grandchildren. There have been graduations and career successes and retirements. Life has been busy and is now slowing down for the sisters.

"Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds--his name is the Lord--and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families," (Psalm 68:4-6a NIV).

May your hearts be lifted up to the Lord and receive joy. Through God there is hope for everyone, in every situation in life. Join David, who wrote the Psalm above, in loving and praising God and you will receive hope. Amen.

The Rhythm of Nature

The changes of fall are beginning. Leaves are starting to turn colors. Some birds are migrating. We've been watching the hummingbirds at our feeder and they were still here on Saturday. I didn't see them yesterday so I'll need to pay attention today to see if they are still here. As we drove by Saylorville Lake yesterday, the pelicans have gathered for their semiannual visit.

It amazes me how the creations of God Almighty have inner clocks that help them prepare for the changes of seasons and weather. They know intrinsically when to migrate. How marvelous and amazing!

The rhythm of the seasons pulses through nature gathering all things to draw them in sync.

"The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all," (Ecclesiastes 9:11 NIV).

Lord, thank You for Your wisdom in all creation. We are in awe of Your design for all things. Remind us today of how fortunate we are to live in Your presence and to watch with wonder the way the earth follows Your guide. Amen.

Change

Looking back through my life, I have seen a lot of things change. Just last week gas prices jumped up 40 cents! But that is a weekly change that we have almost gotten used to. Just typing this blog on a computer reminds me of the days before computers. How did we ever get along without texting on our phones or using email? There were phones; big heavy telephones that sat on a desk or hung on the kitchen wall.

Do you remember the days when the gas station experience was completely different? You would pull up to the pump and a fellow would come running out and ask what you needed and proceed to pump your gas and clean off your windshield and maybe even check your oil. In the early 70s gas was in the range of 40 cents a gallon to 65 cents a gallon.

The grocery store was different, too. There was personal service at the checkout line. Bread was 25 cents a loaf! Milk was $1.50 a gallon. Groceries were bagged for you and carried to you car. Thank you, Fareway for maintaining those services! There were no self serve checkout lines.

"I the Lord do not change," (Malachi 3:6a NIV).

Thank you, God, for being the same for us. You see us and know us and all our sins, yet, You still love us as we are. Thank You for sending Your Son to live with us and to die for us and be raised again in three days. Thank you for the forgiveness Jesus gives us. Amen.

Football Season

I love football season. College football has to come first, but I follow some pro football teams as well. John has always enjoyed watching football so since we first got married and got a television we have watched it together. Recently he has started quizzing me about football. Sometimes I know the correct answer but usually I don't. He tries to teach me something new every game day.

I wish I had someone to teach me something new about the Bible everyday. Actually I have several resources to use that help me learn something new about Jesus. First, my big study Bible is always open on my desk, making it easy to look up anything I'm in need of. I love to turn to a random page and read what I have highlighted or underlined. I am always blessed by the verses I read. 

Second, I have a daily devotional to read every morning. The one-page writings by women offer "daily encouragement for your soul". I really enjoy these devotionals, especially as a start to my day. They uplift me and give me encouragement and positivity. I also have several brief messages that come to my phone every day, offering a scripture or a brief devotional. All these things help me get through my personal "game day".

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done," (Philippians 4:6 NLT).

Thank you, God, for all the ways You teach us and help us each day. Amen.

The Money Trap

These days, walking into a grocery store is expensive! My parents would have a fit if they saw the prices of grocery items these days. It is oppressive. I feel for all those on a fixed income - oh, that's us! Times have certainly changed in fifty years. 

When we first got married we could get a bag of groceries for $25. That was very expensive for us back then. We were being paid so little that we had to scrimp on everything in order to stay within our budget. When the last week of the month came along we were lucky to have a few dollars left.

We did what many couples did, we got a credit card. Before long we had a very large amount due and we were paying high interest on all we didn't pay off. We learned our lesson and made it a top priority to pay off the credit card balance. It took us a long time to finally pay it off. From there on we only used the credit card when we could pay it off every month. That was the best thing we ever did.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs," (1 Timothy 6:6-10 NIV).  

Timothy gives us much to consider regarding our finances. I pray that each of you can feel good about your financial situation. It isn't a conversation topic but it can be a topic of prayer. May God bless you with enough for each day. Amen.