Lift My Thoughts Above

Some mornings I wake up with no idea what I will write. So, I pray. My first go-to is the Bible, of course, but I also turn to an old hymnal because music always speaks to my soul. I grew up in a small country church, singing from hymnals. I even remember how exciting it was when we got new red hymnals! They were printed in 1974, 51 years ago! 

It seems the day of hymnals is past. Now it is technology that gives us words up on a screen and music leaders to teach us new tunes. As a music student of years past, I miss seeing the harmony and sections that we had in our hands with the hymnals. But times change. Now my arms are free to lift my hands to the glory of God, when I focus on Him, not me.

Because nature is such a blessing to me, drawing me closer to God, this hymn really speaks to me every time I sing it. Perhaps some of you will remember it also: "God Who Touches Earth with Beauty" written by Mary S. Edgar and C. Harold Lowden, 1925.

"God who touches earth with beauty, Make my heart a-new; 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 a-new; Keep me ever, by Your Spirit, Pure and strong and true. Amen."  

"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).

God of Glory, I lift my hands to the heavens to praise You with my whole being. Thank you for the beauty You have created in nature that draws us closer to You. As the hymn says, "lift my thoughts above,"  and "turn my dreams to noble action" this day. Be my guide Lord, and teach me through Your Word. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

To God Be The Glory! 

Nature's Glory

Summer reminds me of the hot days growing up on a farm. I had to make my own entertainment since my closest sister was ten years older and off to a job or in college. I loved wandering through the woods and prairies of our farm, talking to the animals (cows, horses, and the family dog of course).

We had no air conditioning so shade was the blessing for steamy days. We would usually spend the early morning, after the dew was gone, in the garden picking produce. I was assigned a task appropriate for my age. I loved to wander the barnyard and gather all the black raspberries I could find along the fencerows or next to the out buildings. Then it was back to a row of red raspberries in the garden. If I picked peas I think mother knew she would hardly end up with enough for a meal because I loved to eat them raw. 

When my chores were done I was free to wander the farm. On hot summer afternoons the creek called my name. I loved to wade in the crisp clear water, studying the rocks, minnows and an occasional clam shell (yes, in an Iowa creek). I discovered that too much time wading in the shadows would result in leeches attached to my legs, sucking blood. (I know that is gross.)

The hills and valleys of the farm were my roaming grounds. I discovered 'ancient' dumping grounds of previous owners where I found broken tea cups and discarded kitchen wares. I played for hours in the roots of trees along the ravine that became my imaginary playhouse.

One of my favorite finds was a hollow tree near a fence line of a pasture for the horses. The tree had an opening at the bottom that allowed me to stand up in the hollow. My imagination created all kinds of pretend scenarios. Life was never dull when I could pretend.

"The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing," (Psalm 65:9b-13 NIV).

Oh, Gracious God, Creator of all the beauty of nature, we lift our voices in praise! Your glory surrounds us in nature. We see this as a sign of Your love, provision, and generosity. You give us more than we deserve and we are so grateful! May we in turn be generous to others with the gifts we have received. We thank You, God, for all things and give You the glory You deserve. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.

We Are Forgiven!

The hot winds we experienced this weekend have sucked the moisture out of every living thing. I'm hoping we get rains to replenish the soil and plants. It definitely feels like summer!  

Sometimes I feel like the life is being sucked out of me. Usually that means I am harboring a sin. Satan wants us to remember that sin and he keeps bringing it up in our minds so we feel defeated, inadequate, despised, ashamed and worthless. 

Most of my life I felt like I wasn't good enough to be loved by God. I was too tall in junior high. My teeth were too crooked. I was the only one in my family who wasn't musical. I couldn't live up to expectations. Even when I confessed my sin and pleaded for forgiveness as an adult, I could not or would not accept the grace that God gave me.

Author Laura L. Smith says it best in her book, "Restore my Soul": "The enemy wants to shame us into thinking we won't be forgiven, we won't be loved, people will think the worst of us, our lives will be over. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie."

David wrote a song to exalt his joy in forgiveness after God forgave him for his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah.

"For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin, Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." (Psalm 32:4-7 NIV).

Heavenly Father, thank You for hearing our confessions and gifting us forgiveness. Help us to accept that Jesus paid our debt when He went to the cross. Over two thousand years ago Jesus gave up His life so every sin could be washed clean from our life's invoice. It is done already. We praise You for loving us so much that You sent Jesus to save us once and for all from our sins! In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.

Summertime Thoughts

Tomorrow is the first day of summer and the heat has arrived! I'm so thankful for the rains we have received this week. The plants are so happy to have the moisture. Many of the towns surrounding Des Moines are under a ban for watering lawns. 

The nitrate level is too high in our water source and the nitrate removal system can't keep up with the usage. That is a problem unique to agriculture areas. I was surprised to learn that Des Moines has the largest nitrate removal facility in the world. The system can process 10 million gallons of water a day at a cost of more than $10,000 a day.

Many Des Moines area cities get their water from the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. The high nitrate levels are primarily due to agricultural runoff from fertilizers and animal waste that accumulates in the soil. The nitrates then wash into waterways during rainfall exacerbating the concentration of nitrates in the water sources. Unfortunately a remedy for this problem is still a ways off.

On another topic, today is Juneteenth, a federal holiday in the United States since 2021. Juneteenth is celebrated annually to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865 Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to proclaim that more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans in Texas were free. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued nearly two and a half years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, but the ongoing Civil War limited the reach of implementing the freeing of enslaved persons.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen," (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV).

Father God, we pray to You today thanking You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to save us all from our sins. Lord, we are humbled as we reflect on America's history of slavery. We know that all are made free in our belief in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Lord, help us do what is right and treat others with dignity and respect. We pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Thank You for Fathers

John with Calvin and Paige and the sheep

Happy Father's Day to all the fine men out there. It is worth stretching the holiday out an extra day for all the countless things fathers do in the lifetime of their children. 

My father has been gone for 19 years already. He was a tender man who followed the Word closely. He loved the land and made it his farming goal to conserve the soil he was given to toil. He had a beautiful baritone voice and blessed many by singing for weddings (including mine), and funerals and leading choirs, and worship for the Iowa Veterans Home for many years.

My husband has been a father for 51 years. He spent the first few years dedicating his life to providing a living for his family. He absorbed all the knowledge around him, working his way up in the world, one step at a time. He brilliantly found ways to earn more for his family and slaved away during his free hours to improve our living situation. He coached ball teams as long as our boys played, and was at every game of every sport the boys were in. He showed the boys how important his faith was by being baptized as an adult while they watched. He did everything he could and more to meet the needs of his family. What a wonderful man he is.

The prophet Isaiah shared a prayer of King Hezekiah who spoke of the importance of passing the joy of the Lord from father to child, from generation to generation.

"The living, the living--they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness," (Isaiah 38:19).

Father God, hear our prayers of thanksgiving for Your example of dedicated love for Your children. Thank You for sacrificing Your Son so we could have a relationship with You, free of our sins by Jesus on the cross. We pray in the glorious name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Saturday is Flag Day

Saturday, June 14, is Flag Day, a celebration of the American flag. The flag was officially adopted on June 14, 1777. President Woodrow Wilson made Flag Day official on May 30,1916 by Presidential Proclamation.

The flag began with 13 stripes, alternating red and white. In 1818 the United States Congress decided to add a star for each new state. The current American flag with 50 stars was first flown on July 4, 1960.

The three colors of the American flag hold meaning: the white is purity, red is for valor and hardiness, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

So if you are able, fly the American flag this weekend in observance of our national colors.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death," (Romans 8:1-2 NIV).

Heavenly Father, we thank You for being with those brave Americans who settled this country. They were men and women of faith. Lord, we are so sad that our country seems to have shifted away from that faith. Help us remain strong in our faith, doing what we can to share our faith with others. We are so thankful for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who gave His life as payment for our sins. We pray in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Everlasting Witness

This weekend I was reminded of my years working at a small town newspaper, the Enterprise in State Center, Iowa. It was my first dream job. My lifelong dream was to write and that was exactly what I was hired to do. My boss was taking a risk in hiring me as I had no education to back it up except for high school newspaper activity.

I remember the smell of melting wax when I walked into the Main Street office. Inside was an antique paper cutter on display. There was a counter to meet customers and further back was the vast space of putting together a weekly newspaper. Down the middle of the room was a bank of computers. And if that wasn't scary enough, next I was shown the dark room. Through my training I learned to develop film and make prints (black and white) for the newspaper.

My job involved interviewing people for a story, writing and editing the story, printing out the story, cutting out the newspaper columns, running them through the waxer and posting them on a layout sheet that became a page of the newspaper. I had to make sure we had enough ads to pay for the page, so another part of my job was selling ads.

"Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness," (Isaiah 30:8 NIV).

Believe it or not the newspaper had books made of an entire year's worth of our newspaper. Those were wonderful resources for local history buffs, genealogy seekers, and data for the "Looking Back" column of the paper. I don't remember how far the newspaper went back but I remember stories and ads from the 1920s.

Oh, God, thank You for saving Your Word for us, first on stone, then on scrolls, and now in our Bibles. The "everlasting witness" helps us know You better and shows us how to live. Help us follow Your Word closer each day. We pray in Jesus' Holy name, Amen.

World Environment Day

 Today is World Environment Day. It is celebrated every year and encourages awareness and efforts to protect our environment. This year the day focuses on ending plastic pollution. It emphasizes the drive "to refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink using plastics.

I can think of many ways I can aid in this major push: I can ask for paper sacks at the grocery store or get out my reusable grocery bags that I used pre-COVID. I can stop buying water in bottles and use one of the many, many reusable bottles I have. I recycle all the plastics the recycling program accepts. I reuse cool whip containers for leftovers that I send home with the grandchildren, I also can gather litter in the ditches near me to clean up the environment around me. Never ever litter!  I know these are just a few ideas. Please share other ideas you have.

This topic  reminded me of the old hymn, "For the Beauty of the Earth," written in 1864 by Folliott S. Pierpoint and Conrad Kocher, 1838.  "For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies, Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise. For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night, Hill and vale, and tree, and flow'r, Sun and moon and stars of light, Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.  For the joy of ear and eye, For the heart and minds delight, For the mystic harmony Linking sense to sound and sight, Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows," (James 1:17 NIV).

Heavenly Father, Creator of all things, I ask your forgiveness for the sad way we have taken care of the earth. Help me to always be cautious about using plastics. They are so terrible for our environment. I want to be a wise user of the nature around me, so please remind me of ways to care for Your Creation. I want it to stay clean and beautiful as You intended. I pray in Jesus' awesome Name, Amen.

The Beauty of the Earth

June is such a lovely month in Iowa. Although the weather can vary one day to the next we are surrounded by everything green.The grass is still beautiful and lush, keeping all mowers busy. Gardens are full of growing plants that seem to get taller every minute. Iris and peony flowers are nearing their end while clematis and coreopsis stay lovely while the lilies, hydrangeas and coneflowers get ready to pop with color.

Every bloom and growing thing is made by God. Only He could create such amazing variety in each flower, leaf, and vegetable. We are so blessed by the beauty of the earth and all that is in it that God's hand has created.

"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever," (Isaiah 40:6b-8 NIV).

Father God, thank You for being the constant in our lives every day. Just as the flowers fade and fall, our time on this earth is numbered. Thank You for providing Your Word as our guide for life. Help us enjoy the beauty around us. Let our eyes notice every tiny petal, stamen, and pistil of the flowers; every blade of grass, and each leaf of green and yellow.  We thank You for all Creation. We pray in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.