Tick Tock Time

Another month is ready to fly away as we turn the page to August tomorrow. I am amazed at how fast time slips through my fingers. I am of the age that there isn't a lot of time left and it makes me think about how I use my time. Oh I know I can't make every minute useful, but I need to be a little more aware of my time.

One of our grandsons is spending the week with us. It is such a blessing to share time with him. It is different when you have days with someone, than when it is just a few hours to visit. I won't share specifics because I don't want to betray his trust, but my heart is so full!

I am immediately reminded of the book of Ecclesiastes where Solomon writes about time. My mother's favorite verses are in chapter three but today I want to look at Solomon's purpose for writing this book. He hoped to share with future generations his experience that life is meaningless apart from God. No pleasure or happiness is possible without God.

"The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:1-9 NIV).

Solomon tried to turn his people to God, away from thinking how great they were, and to realize only God is the source of happiness in this life.

God of Mercy and Creator of all things: thank You for all Your blessings in this life. Open my eyes to Your beauty and perfection in this world. Show me my purpose and help me be the best I can be. Use me as a light of faith to others and show me opportunities to spread the good news. I pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

What Cornfields Show Us

I've been listening to the rain since about 3:30 a.m. I can't see the rain gauge until it is light out but it sounded like more than a little shower, again. The corn is tall and tasseling in the fields, so green and beautiful. And the soybeans look excellent. I wonder when there is too much rain for the crops. Perhaps never, as long as it drys out for harvest? 

Isn't it amazing how things grow? I'm just in awe of the miracles all around us. Last year was so dry, yet the yields were quite good, according to what I've heard from my farmer friends. They, too, were amazed. A drive through the countryside will fill your heart with wonder, too. I love Iowa. I know people complain about Iowa being nothing but corn fields, but I find every inch of this state wonderful.

"Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil? When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? His God instructs him and teaches him the right way...All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom." (Isaiah 28:23-26, 29 NIV). 

Each crop is treated with specific attention to what it needs. Farmers know that. But all of us can apply this to dealing with people. Each person is different, with unique circumstances and weaknesses. We need to be sensitive to others and their needs.

Gracious God, we are overwhelmed by Your majesty and wisdom! Help us to understand others and give them encouragement and treatment that they need. Like the farmers, show us how to be careful and sensitive to those around us. We praise You for the individuals You have created and we follow Your guidance as we care for our friends and neighbors. We thank You for sending Jesus to save us by His sacrifice on the cross. Lead us through this day. We pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Observing God's Glory

When I was younger, my family was used to seeing me with a camera around my neck. I love to take pictures. I have photo albums filled with baby pictures of my grandchildren, my grandchildren showing lambs, of my grandchildren playing soccer, football, basketball, baseball, softball, swimming, cheerleading, running cross country, running track, playing volleyball, graduating preschool, singing in the choir, playing the violin, playing the cello, graduating high school...

There are more than 30 huge albums of photographs in my office and more downstairs. Can you imagine how heavy the boxes were when we moved from our acreage in Marshalltown to Ankeny?! Since about 2012, I began to save photos digitally and soon after I quit getting prints made of all the pictures I took. Now my computer and the cloud hold my images. I no longer use my big, heavy, expensive camera. It has been replaced by my iPhone's camera.

One of my favorite things to photograph (besides grandchildren) is nature. Flowers, trees, mountains, lakes, streams, waterfalls, sunrises, sunsets, and did I mention flowers? God's glory is expressed in all of nature. I am in awe of His designs, His colors, His creativity! One of my devotionals suggested taking a photo of gratitude everyday. What a wonderful idea! We are surrounded by reasons to be thankful every day.

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise... When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:1-9 NIV).

Thank You God! For all the beauty that surrounds us. Help us to pause and consider Your greatness in all things: babies to adults, flowers to trees, streams to oceans, the sun to the stars! In all things we celebrate and give thanks for Your amazing creation. Open our eyes to Your glory and fill our hearts with Your love. You alone are majestic and we praise You!  Amen.

Living On the Farm

Last night as I was eating a baked bean sandwich ( leftover baked beans on buttered bread) I was thinking about growing up on the farm. Nearly everything we ate came from the farm. My parents were married in 1933. Think the Great Depression (1929-1941). They had a quiet wedding ceremony with their parents in Newton, Iowa, away from their homes near Albion and Liscomb, Iowa. They were both active in the Bethel Grove Church of Liscomb, I never asked why they went away to marry. 

Their entire income came from the farm. Nothing went to waste. For a time my dad would deliver fresh milk to local folks. The farm was nearly self-sufficient. They raised milk cows, chickens for eggs and meat, pigs they would butcher. They had an enormous garden that provided bountiful fresh vegetables for meals and for canning to supply food for winters in Iowa. Times were hard.

Their depression-era lifestyle became part of their character. Nothing went to waste. There was no trash, only things to use again, perhaps in a different way. Clothes were handed down to the younger children and when I came along, the cloth from clothes was reconfigured into a new style. 

My mother fulfilled the qualities of a Proverbs 31 woman:

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all," (Proverbs 31:25-29 NIV).

In this generation of wastefulness, and everything disposable, the depression-era generation stands out as wise and frugal.

Oh, God of generosity and grace, thank you for this day of blessings. Help us follow Your way in all we do. Show us what is good and pleasing to You. Guide our steps and protect our families with Your love. We offer our praise to You alone, God, and we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Be Strong and Courageous

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV).

If you have ever considered the Old Testament irrelevant to your life, think again, and reread the scripture above. We all face fears in our lives. Sometimes we just need a little encouragement. "Firsts" are always high on my list of things feared. Trying something new or facing unknown experiences can fill my mind with terror.

I remember my first swimming lesson... the first time I had to jump off a diving board... the day I took the test for my driver's license... my first date with someone special... a job interview... the first day of college... the days I went into labor... or perhaps the day you leave for basic training...

Perhaps your fear came from a recently diagnosed illness, an insecure job situation, or serious financial problems. Maybe the future will hold fear as you take your first sky diving jump! Or face the loss of a spouse or child. Or consider difficult decisions about your living situation or your health.

Scriptures, even those in the Old Testament, hold great encouragement for us, even today. The scripture above was spoken by a man ready to die, 120-year-old Moses. He was speaking to his people, preparing them to become independent of his leadership and dependent upon God.

God has given us powerful assurance that we do not need to be afraid. The Lord God goes with us, always. He will never leave us or forsake us. Go therefore; be strong and courageous!

Oh Gracious God: I lift my hands in praise to You! Thank You for being ever-present in my life. When I face scary things, I will turn to You alone, for You are the One I can trust to save me. Give me courage and strength to face the trials in my path today. For I know You are with me to the end of the earth. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

We Are Family

As I looked at the calendar this morning I realized that this is my father's heavenly birthday. Corwin Arney Springer was born in 1913 at home in rural Albion, Iowa. He was an only child of Elma Jane Arney Springer and Loyd Hampton Springer. The local doctor left the Springer farmstead and went to assist with the birth at the Marion Clisby Hilsabeck and Effie Eldora Griggs Hilsabeck farmstead just 10 or so miles away. On July 15, 1913, Clara Burneta Hilsabeck was born. Corwin and Clara attended Bethel Grove Church together and eventually married on June 8, 1933.

The portion of my genealogy is shared above to show how unique a person's ancestry can be. Genealogies are given often in the Bible to show how we are all related, beginning with Adam and Eve. Mankind is one flesh and blood. There is no room for prejudice or hatred. Each person is valuable and unique in God's eyes. 

"This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man."" (Genesis 5:1-2 NIV).

Genealogies are so interesting to explore. In my story there is a common tie in my ancestry, John Arney, born in 1798, in both lines of my family going back six generations. That doesn't seem very far back, yet it is more than 200 years. 

God had a plan for each one of us. We are individuals, created through the lineage of God. That makes us all family! How awesome is that! 

Creator God, Father of us all, we worship You this beautiful morning. Today we consider the amazing genealogy of mankind and we feel connected to every other person through Your great plan for man. Your Word shows us the lineage of Jesus,Your Son. We claim our relationship to Christ and others and thank You for our inheritance through Christ. We pray in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.

God is Sovereign!

A volcano spews out red hot streaming lava in Hawaii; the ground under Mt. Rainier rumbles quietly with undetectable earthquake swarm; the flood of the Guadalupe River in Texas took the lives of more than 100 people on July 4th; the 2025 hurricane season prediction calls for 16 named storms, eight hurricanes and three major hurricanes; 960 tornadoes struck the U.S. through the end of May; tragedies make our world seem out of control.

With all the problems of the world we sometimes cry out to God in despair, "What is happening, Lord?"

Centuries ago, Daniel could have despaired when thousands of his people were deported to a foreign country after Judah was overtaken by Nebuchadnezzar. But instead, Daniel remained strong in his faith in God, believing that God's sovereignty reigned supremely.

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed," (Daniel 7:13-14 NIV).

Daniel's prophecy is true for us even two thousand years after Jesus' resurrection! No matter how dark our circumstances are God is still sovereign. He is in control of heaven and earth; He still directs the forces of nature, the destiny of nations, and the care of His people. We will never understand the why of disasters; we aren't supposed to. God's plan is greater than our understanding.

Our job is to remain steadfast in our faith in God.

Lord God Almighty, we humble ourselves before You today and place our trust in You alone. In spite of the darkness that surrounds us at times, we know, through Your Word, that one day Jesus will return and His believers will be taken to a new earth, a heavenly home. Thank You, God for the promises that have been fulfilled, and for those that will be a future day of rejoicing. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Watching for Signs

Sunrise and sunset are my favorite times of the day.  I once viewed this cross in the sky. I love it when God sends us signs of His presence when we are watching for them.  Perhaps it is a cardinal in a tree that reminds us of a beloved family member who has passed. Or maybe it is a butterfly that lands on a flower. Or a hummingbird at the feeder. Or a Christian song that keeps running through our minds.

The prophet Joel predicted the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that occurred on Pentecost. Joel envisioned a time when the Spirit was made available to every believer. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord can receive the Holy Spirit through his or her belief in Jesus Christ as Savior of the world, our Messiah.

"I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth...And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved;" (Joel 2:28-29, 32 NIV). 

The NIV Life Application Study Bible says Joel's prophecy provides three fulfillments: immediate, ongoing, and final. "In those days" refers to the time when all believers will be saved. "God will not only bless believers with everything they need; He will also bless them by destroying all evil and ending the pain and suffering on earth."

That is our hope in Jesus Christ for the day He returns! 

Our Father: as we begin this new day, be with us in Spirit and in signs You send for us to see. Help us be moved by the Holy Spirit to touch others we meet by being kind and showing the love Jesus taught us to have for one another. Guide our steps to where You want us to go. Use us to spread the Good News wherever You lead us. Lift the spirits of those who suffer and give them peace. Surround those we love with Your protection. This we pray, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

“In God We Trust"

July is here and the focus is on fireworks, barbecues and family gatherings. And that’s okay because there is much to celebrate…let’s consider our blessings for a few minutes. Since Independence Day is tomorrow let’s start by remembering the freedoms we have in the United States of America.

July 4th commemorates the acceptance of the Declaration of Independence by the 13 original colonies on July 4, 1776. It is a celebration of the birth of America and the independence from British rule. Three key figures, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, drafted and edited the final document. It was first read publicly in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Later, John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, led the signing of the document by all 56 delegates, making it official on August 4, 1776.

Included in the script of Independence is the familiar Declaration: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

What blessings are you celebrating this year? 

Although I have concerns about the direction our country is taking, as professed in the “Great Big Beautiful Bill,” I am thankful for the original freedoms provided for in our Constitution. And I am thankful that our coins and bills still say, “In God We Trust”.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement  give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 15:4-6 NIV).

Father God, You alone are gracious and loving beyond our comprehension, and You have given us freedom from sin through our belief in Your Perfect Son. We give thanks to You for this country of freedoms. Thank You for giving us endurance and encouragement through Your Word. Guide us to be kinder, more understanding, and less critical of others as we enjoy this life, liberty and happiness in Christ. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.