The Lord's Favor

We are nearing the halfway point on our calendars. June is coming to an end. Summer is here and with it there is heat. Already I feel like summer is slipping away too quickly. I must pause and appreciate every day as it comes. 

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor," (Isaiah 61:1-2a NIV).

Time's passing reminds me to count my blessings. There is a contemporary song out by Seph Schlueter that I just love, called "Counting My Blessings" written by Jordan Douglas Sapp/Jonathan Conrad Gamble/Seph Schlueter.

"It's like it was yesterday I was a praying for a miracle Scared to have a little hope And now looking back today Seeing all the things You've done I can't even add them up; One, two, three Up to infinity I'd run out of numbers Before I could thank You for everything; God, I'm still counting my blessings All that You've done in my life The more that I look in the details The more of Your goodness I find Father on this side of Heaven I know that I'll run out of time But I will keep counting my blessings Knowing I can't count that high; And I know the seasons never lost forever So God, I will remember All of the reasons my heart has to be grateful All the times You've been faithful to me... I will keep counting my blessings Knowing I can't count that high."

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor," (Quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19 NIV).

Holy Father, thank You for this day before us. Open our eyes to the many blessings You favor us with: the beauty of nature all around us, the family and friends who fill our lives with meaning, the talented artists who create music and art that touches our hearts, the faithful who have gone before us - directing us down this pathway of faith, our Christian mentors who stand side-by-side with us - keeping us accountable and sharing their wisdom and strength, each day You set before us in our lives. Thank You, Lord, for sending Your Son to live and die and rise again for us - proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor. Amen.

The Sound of Thunder

Good morning. I love to listen to the thunder rumble above me and watch the clouds roll across the sky. Hopefully there will be rain to follow. It is one of those kind of mornings. The full moon hangs in the southwest, peeking between the clouds. They passed over us quickly today, leaving just enough rain to dampen the streets. 

""Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king." Then Samuel called upon the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel," (1 Samuel 12:16-18 NIV).

Israel demanded a king. They already had God to rule over all things, but they wanted a human king, against Samuel's advice. Saul became Israel's first king. The Israelites wheat harvest was typically in May or June, the end of the dry season. Rain rarely fell during this time so when a thunderstorm occurred it was a miraculous event. However, it was not welcome because a rain storm could damage the crops. "This unusual occurrence showed God's displeasure with Israel's demand for a king," (NIV Life Application study notes).

I wonder how often God is displeased with my prayerful requests. If I am asking for something specific I usually conclude with "Your will be done, not mine." I know He has a plan for all things and all people, but I still often ask for blessings.

Lord God Almighty, You who control the clouds and the rain, thank You for the many ways You bless our lives. Although we don't understand why some storms cause destruction around us, we trust You to bring good out of every situation. Thank You for the beauty in the clouds, and for hearing us when we pray. We praise You, our King, and we stand in awe of Your majesty and the gift of Your Son for our salvation. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Therefore...

"Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty, in the day of his burning anger," (Isaiah 13:13 NIV). 

'Therefore' is used 442 times in the New International Version of the Bible and many more times in the King James version (1220 times). I've always been told that whenever 'therefore' appears in the Bible you should pay attention to what comes next. 

Recently we have had our own alerts. Our house was built in 2015 and we bought it in 2016. There were seven smoke detectors and two combination smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors installed in our house. Last week in the middle of the night the alarms went off. We checked every corner and there was no fire. Then we tried to figure out how to shut the alarms off. All the while this loud, ear-breaking screech was blasting through the house!

John finally found the alarm button to push that controlled all the alerts and the high shrill sound stopped. Since that night the alarms have gone off six or seven times. Twice we have come home and found the alarms blasting for who knows how long!

Therefore, we first thought the batteries needed to be replaced since they are nearly 10 years old. When changing out the batteries didn't stop the sudden screeching alerts we purchased nine new alarms. (No small expense!) Yesterday, John spent the day replacing eight of the alarms. Of course they have changed the way alarms work now, so it took extra time to rewire the connections.

There is one alarm left to replace but it is located up about 20 feet, in the vaulted ceiling area. It will require the tall extension ladder, positioned over the difficult-to-move sectional sofa. Neither of us like heights. It will be a big complicated job so we will wait for the right moment to tackle it. Luckily, that old alarm doesn't seem to be bad. We haven't had the alarms go off in 12 hours.

Dear Lord, we get so wound up in our day-to-day struggles that we sometimes forget to praise You for all that You do. You have given us such a beautiful spring with so much amazing colors in the grass, the trees, and all the flowers. All these things come from Your Creation and we are so blessed to enjoy it all. Thank You and praise to You for alerting us to the power only You hold. In the Name of Your Holy Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Our Father's World

We celebrated Father's Day with both of our sons - at a sheep show, of course. Two of our grandchildren showed lambs and four others were there to watch. It was a special day for my husband.

Gloria and Dad 2002

It was also a day of remembering our fathers who are no longer with us. We both lost our fathers many years ago so we cherish the memories we have of them. They were wonderful men.

It was also a day to praise our Heavenly Father for all He has given us and done for us. I was immediately reminded of the old hymn that we sang often when I was young, "This is my Father's World", written by Maltbie D. Babcock, 1901, and Franklin L. Sheppard, 1915.

"This is my Father's world, And to my listening ears All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres. This is my Father's world: I rest me in the thought Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas-His hand the wonders wrought. This is my Father's world, The birds their carols raise, The morning light, the lily white, Declare their Maker's praise. This is my Father's world: He shines in all that's fair; In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere. This is my Father's world, O let me ne'er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet. This is my Father's world: Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns: let earth be glad! Amen."

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." (Hebrews 12:5b-6 NIV).

Thank You, Father God, for all You have created, especially our earthly fathers. Thank You for being the example for all fathers (and mothers and children, too). We are blessed by Your loving kindness and Your discipline. Forever guide us in this life and lead us to our heavenly home with You. Amen.

 

Tomorrow is Flag Day

Tomorrow is Flag Day. Many people helped make June 14 the official national observance. In 1916 President Wilson issued a proclamation to observe National Flag Day on June 14 and President Coolidge did the same in 1927. It wasn't until August 3, 1949 that Congress approved the observance of National Flag Day. It was President Harry Truman who signed it into law.

The American flag brightly proclaims the red, white and blue. According to the Veterans Affairs, the colors of the flag represent values of the United States of America. Red symbolizes hardiness and valor. White symbolizes purity and innocence. Blue symbolizes vigilance, perseverance and justice. The 13 stripes represent the original Colonies and the 50 stars represent the 50 states of the Union. 

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'" (Acts 17:24-28 NIV). 

When I was in elementary school we started the day by facing the flag and repeating the Pledge of Allegiance with our right hands over our hearts. For years, since the 1930s, there have been legal challenges to the Pledge of Allegiance by Jehovah's Witnesses, and by atheists who objected to school policies requiring students to swear an oath to the flag, "Under God".

To me the flag represents honor to our country, under God. I'm thankful for our freedoms, especially our freedom of religion. I will raise our flag under God for the liberty and justice it provides.

God, we seek you and rejoice that You invite us to have a relationship with You. Thank You for the ability to live in You and have our being. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Spring Gardens

2017 Garden

When I was growing up our main activity in spring was planting and caring for the acre-sized garden. Daddy would till up the beautiful dark soil that smelled so rich and moist. Then he would make rows with an antique hand plow, leaving a path down the middle of the garden for walking. Then my sister, closest in age, and I would plant the seeds as Mama assigned the rows. 

The front rows were usually radishes, lettuce, and peas - the early producers. Then when they were all picked, the area was plowed up and used for something else like more peas that would produce in the cooler weather of early fall. There were carrots and beets, then rows and rows of green beans. The potatoes were already planted on Good Friday, when the weather cooperated. 

Next in the garden came tomatoes, lots of tomato plants. The hills of cucumbers, zucchini, winter squash, and a maybe a try at watermelons or pumpkins were in the huge area at the back of the garden. The areas rotated each year using soil conservation methods, of course, since that was my Dad's job for many years. 

"Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it," (Genesis 2:8-9, 15 NIV). 

I love gardening, though since 2017 we have been using a small raised bed and a pot or two of tomatoes. This year we have one cucumber, one zucchini and one tomato. So far they are doing great, thanks to John's daily attention. There is something so healing about putting your hands in the rich, dark soil. Unfortunately, the only soil in our current yard is hard clumps of clay. Thus, the raised bed filled with bags of top soil.

Lord God, thank You for making us gardeners. Gardening teaches us to love and care for Your earth. It connects us to Your Creation. Lord, bless all the gardeners with bountiful production this spring and summer. Thank You for all the beauty that comes from Your ground. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Rainbow Covenant

"And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature after you, a covenant for all generations to come; I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth," (Genesis 9:12-16 NIV).

God gave us a beautiful sky last night after an hour or so of showers. The rainbow. The picture doesn't capture the colors as brilliantly as they appeared. The whole sky seemed to have an aura of pinks as the sun set, peeking through the clouds. 

My Bible dictionary/concordance defines the rainbow as "colors formed by the refraction and reflection of the sun's rays in raindrops or water vapor".

I can't imagine what Noah felt when the first rainbow appeared over the desolate earth. It must have been an awe inspiring sight. It still is. It represents God's faithfulness to us all.

God is good. All the time. We know we can trust in Him no matter what we are going through. God is with us. Leading us through life. And sometimes He gives us rainbows to remind us of His glory.

Thank You, God, for being our trustworthy, Holy, Father. Thank you for keeping Your promises and upholding the covenants You have made. Thank You for the rainbows You send to us. And thank You for sending Your Son to give us a way to live with You eternally. Amen.

From My Kitchen Window

One of my favorite things is having a window over my kitchen sink. Even with a dishwasher, I spend a considerable amount of time at the kitchen sink. I love being able to look outside. It gives me a view of God's beautiful world. It takes me into the world of nature and allows my mind to focus on God's blessings all around me.

Though the skies are gray this morning, the green of spring brightens my day and the trees and flowers lighten my soul.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end," (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV).

All these thoughts reminded me of a favorite old hymn, "God Who Touches Earth with Beauty" by Mary S. Edgar, 1925 and C. Harold Lowden, 1925. The words are a beautiful prayer for this day:

"God who touches earth with beauty, Make my heart anew; With Your Spirit recreate me, Pure and strong and true. Like Your springs and running waters Make me crystal pure, Like Your rocks of towering grandeur Make me strong and sure. Like Your dancing waves in sunlight Make me glad and free, Like the straightness of the pine trees Let me upright be. Like the arching of the heavens Lift my thoughts above, Turn my dreams to noble action, Ministries of love. God who touches earth with beauty, Make my heart anew; Keep me ever, by Your Spirit, Pure and strong and true. Amen."

May your day be filled with everything beautiful.