Gratitude...

In this season leading up to Easter, I am always so drawn to the newness of life we see in Spring.  It feels so appropriate to look out the window everyday, seeing this transformation after winter, and draw the parallel of the newness of life that Jesus offers me through his death and resurrection.  How incredibly grateful I am!  

A verse that comes to mind often when I'm thinking about gratitude is Philippians 4:11-13

"Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am."  (The Message)

If you are struggling right now, if life has not been kind to you, cry out to God.  Ask Him to help you in your pain and struggles.  Ask Him to give you the strength you don't possess on your own.  And then thank Him...express gratitude for what He has done for you, even down to the most simple and mundane things...  Being content in our circumstances is a daily practice.  It is never easy.  And while we may obtain mastery one day, the next day (or hour!) we can find ourselves in an entirely different mindset.  

Recently I was with the kids on a rather long hike.  One wrong turn made the it even longer and we found ourselves hiking down a steep hill in some serious mud.  Once we had made it halfway down the hill, we figured we might as well go all the way to the bottom.  But then we had the arduous task ahead of us to climb all the way back to the top.  I had been carrying Tessa in the backpack on the way down and was exhausted.  Then Eva hurt her ankle so Reese took Tessa and I carried Eva.  Working my way back up the hill, I wondered how often God has stepped in to carry me, perhaps when I didn't even realize it?  

Gratitude and contentment go hand in hand.  We express thankfulness even when we don't "feel like it" and it helps us in taking an inventory of all the "good things" to then find contentment.  Sometimes our prayer might be as simple as, 

"God, You are there, You see me me and You care.  That is enough for me today..."

Saved...

 

This week we took advantage of the amazingly warm weather to visit McConnell's Mill State Park.  This has been a favorite place of mine since college as it is so beautiful and so different from the farmland and rolling hills that surround it.  The river rapids, the enormous boulders, strewn all throughout the park as if tossed there by some giant...I can't help but be amazed every time I go.

The kids spent the first hour fishing, with only Reese catching a tiny minnow.  Then we embarked on our longest family hike ever, about a four mile round trip.  The kids knew that we were hiking until we reached a bridge...again and again they asked, are we there yet?  Along the way, maybe every 1/8 mile, there are life preservers.  Eva asked me, "What are those for, Mama?"  I explained to her that the rapids along the path can be extremely treacherous during rainy times of year.  As one of these preservers came into view, the sun was shining down through the trees, illuminating it in a very noticeable way...almost beautiful.  I stopped to look at it for just a few seconds and a spiritual parallel came to mind.   Our journey of life can be incredibly difficult and perilous at times.  We have to struggle over rocks and boulders and avoid falling into deadly rapids which come in the form of so many trials and temptations: financial problems, lies, broken relationships, addictions, disease, grief, loneliness, misplaced priorities, ingratitude and jealousy....

And finally, the bridge came into view.  The kids sighed in relief...we made it...finally!  Oh, but were they in for a shock.  "Guys, this is just the half-way point.  Now we have to walk all the way back."  After many groans we made our way back along the path, stopping to admire rocks and trees and flowers and the river that ran alongside us.  We passed by those life preservers again.  And it struck me all over again.  Christ is our "life preserver."  He is ready and waiting to save us, all of us, if we will only call out to Him, believe in Him, and follow Him.  It is so deceptively easy to rush through life without giving much thought to Him, and to our need for Him.  He is just like that life preserver...ready, waiting...able to save us if we will take hold of Him.  But it's a choice each one of us must make.  And in doing so we can finally "take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Tim 6:19)

Slow Down

I was driving to the DMV the other morning for the ever-dreaded ritual of renewing my driver's license.  Though it only happens every four years, the time always seems to pass by so quickly.  And for me, it always seems to spur on some personal reflection...I began to think back over the past four years and all that has happened to me...all that has changed.  

As I near an elementary school, I see the flashing yellow lights of a school zone sign, warning me to slow down to 15 mph.  Driving this slow seems painful...like I'm barely moving or making any progress toward my destination.  But of course I dutifully obey...and on this day I am struck by something. Slowing down forces me to pay more attention to my surroundings.  I notice things I definitely would not have seen if I'd been driving at the normal speed limit.  I see flowers bursting forth with their colorful blooms, I hear birdsong through my rolled down windows, I pay attention...

How much of our lives are spent rushing from here to there, all day, every single day, that we miss things that are truly important, or that would be a blessing to us?  How many relationships stay on a strictly shallow and pleasantries-only basis, because we do not take the time to invest in other people...to really listen to them?  How many family memories will never be made, because our schedules are too busy to take the time just to be together?

I get to the end of the school zone and resume the normal speed limit, but something sticks with me as I continue on my way.  Upon arriving at the DMV, I get in line outside the building.  Again I wait...but my soul is at peace.  I look out at the beautiful, sun-filled morning and thank God that He saw fit to give me another day here on this earth.  I commune with the Father, standing in line at the DMV, because He helped me to see on this day that slowing down is not a bad thing...not a bad thing at all.  In fact, I would encourage you to do it too.

For the past two weeks our family has been caring for some adorable baby mallard ducklings.  It is a time consuming task to be sure...ducks are MESSY.  But I enjoy it because, again, it forces us to be still, to slow down, and just to observe one of nature's wonders.  We sit outside by the little pool and watch them swim and splash around...or in the grass and watch them preen and peck around in the grass for an insect snack.  We slow down to watch...the kids weigh them daily and can see how much they change...it all happens so fast, but if we don't slow down to take notice, we miss everything...

Multiple times last weekend, He gave me the same verse...a verse I desperately needed to see, to hear, to meditate on.  It was my verse for the week and one that I hope will remind me always of my need to give my burdens over to Him...

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30 NIV

This verse speaks to my heart in the same way that flashing school zone sign did...in a gentler and more beautiful way of course.  It tells me to slow down, to stop striving with all my might to carry burdens that are simply too great for me to manage.  Do you trust in Jesus to carry your burdens today?  Take time to be with Him, to talk to Him, and to listen to what He might be trying to tell you.  Perhaps He has been trying for quite some time but you've been flying through your days so quickly that you never have the time to hear Him.

Slow down...

 

God's Kaleidoscope...

 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!”

Psalm 40:16 (ESV)

While it is tempting to focus on the bad things going on in our world right now, I believe this time affords us such an amazing opportunity.  The absence of so many of our "usual distractions" gives us time to focus more on the small things we overlook every single day.  As my family enjoyed the warm sunshine over the weekend, I was struck by the kaleidoscope of colors I was witnessing in the birds, right in my own backyard.  Red, orange, yellow, green and blue...these aren't colors I would typically think of seeing in a tropical rain forest, not here in Western PA!  I did have to steal a hummingbird photo from last summer because I wasn't fast enough to capture that little guy but he started coming to our feeder yesterday and was back again today, despite the chilly weather!  And yes, the turkey, not wanting to be left out, has made multiple appearances over the last week also.

Great is the Lord!  

Do I need any more reasons to say this, continually?  And yet I am given new ones day after day.  God has saved me indeed from a life devoid of beauty and meaning and hope, and flooded my world with endless examples of His creativity, His love, and His purpose for me. 

I pray that wherever you find yourself today, no matter how bleak things may seem in your life, that you will still find opportunities to say, "Great is the Lord!"  Remember that His goodness supersedes all of our problems and pain.  The hope He offers us is not limited to the confines of this world.  What He gives us here are glimpses....reminders of all that is in store for those who trust in Him.

Great is the Lord!

Cardinal

Robin

Goldfinch

Baltimore Oriole

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

Goldfinch

Tree Swallow

TURKEY!!

Good Soil...

Derrick has been working all week to install a fence around our backyard garden.  The problem with doing this in western PA is that our soil is absolutely terrible!!!  He had to dig almost 30 three-foot deep holes for the fence posts and it was grueling work.  There was so much rock in our yard, it's truly hard to believe anything could grow and digging that many holes seemed like an almost impossible task.  So after several  days of trying to dig the holes by hand with little progress, he rented an auger and he and Carter spent a good part of a day digging the holes using that.

I never gave much thought to soil until I became a homeowner.  Now it affects everything I plant in my garden and yard.  I have tried and failed so many times over the years to get so many different kinds of vegetables and flowers to grow in our rocky clay soil. 

Today, I planted some zinnia seeds with help from my little buddy Eva.  Though it will still be months until they flower, I look forward to those colorful blooms.  "Why aren't you just planting those seeds outside?" The other kids were sitting around the table watching me plant.  I explained that the seeds would get a better start in some good, loose potting soil than directly into the cold, hard ground.

Planting seeds and seeing the effect of good vs. bad soil reminds me of the parable of the farmer in Mark 4.  The farmer is scattering seeds on different types of soil and we learn the fate of each of these seeds.  Then Jesus goes on to explain what each one stands for.

Mark 4:13-20 (NLT)
Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Lawson, inside one of the 3 ft deep post holes!

This story is a solemn reminder, not just of the effects of soil on plants, but on people.  It vividly depicts the different pitfalls that so many believers of Christ fall into, and all the things that steal our joy, weaken our faith, and vie for our attention. 

Oh that I could be one of the seeds to fall on the good soil, and that my life could be one that produces a harvest.  Help my faith to truly take root, Lord, and let it be a light to many others. 

Where Did You See God Today?

Where did you see God today?
In the colors of the sunrise...
In the songs of the birds...
In the new spring flowers and leaves bursting forth on the trees...

Did you see Him through the kind words or actions of a neighbor or friend?

Did you see Him through the eyes of a child?

And if you didn't see Him at all today, where might you have missed Him, because He was there...

Yesterday, our family ventured out for a hike in the woods.  We enjoyed the fresh air, the signs of spring all around us, and we were treated to a special surprise when we arrived back at home.  One of our swallowtail butterflies that had been in a jar in our garage and had been locked up in a chrysalis since last summer had hatched.  Seeing that beautiful butterfly was like witnessing a miracle.  To think that it could live for all that time and emerge now, in absolute perfection and beauty, was just astonishing. 

Don't we all-too-often fail to recognize the ways that God works and is working in our lives.  Don't we fail to see that sometimes we must wait, for a long time, before we see the evidence of His plan and His working? 


May we each have patience to wait.
May we each have wisdom and trust when we don't understand what is happening around us.
May He give us eyes to see Him, and to know that He is there even when we can't.

Dear God, we thank you for this new day.  We thank you for the miracles You are working around us, both great and small, every single day.  Please give us eyes to see You.  Give us faith, to believe, even when we don't understand the things that are happening around us.  And give us patience to wait on You, on Your perfect timing and plan, and to know that You are always working for our good.  Help us to see you today.  Amen.

Shouting Our Praises!

We let the kids watch a short video about Palm Sunday this morning.  This wasn't our typical Palm Sunday celebration by any stretch of the imagination.  Never could we have conceived being in a global lock down due to a pandemic.  After watching the video, I did a short story with the kids about Job.  We read about how he was inflicted with so many tremendously difficult circumstances, and yet after he was left broken and without his precious family or any of his possessions , he was still praising God.  I challenged the kids to think about how we can praise God, even in our difficulties and asked them to think about things throughout out day that we still have to be thankful for. 

As Jesus was riding the donkey into Jerusalem that morning, throngs of people gathered, shouting "Hosanna!"  "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

We are SO blessed....  As we spent time together today in the beautiful, warm sunshine, I couldn't help but think of ... "Hosanna!" 

God, I shout out my PRAISES to You, even in this great storm.  Even on my hardest days, You bless me beyond measure.  Shouldn't I start every day with this kind of praise?  Shouldn't I acknowledge first, all that I have, before I start fixating on what I do not?

Perhaps God is allowing all of us to go through a time like this to give us a different perspective on things.  Oh that we would not squander the opportunity we have, now more than ever, to re-prioritize, to refocus, to consider His significance in our lives...

A dear friend shared with me some verses from Psalm 27 yesterday...and I want to share them here with you...

Psalm 27 (KJV)

vs. 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

vs. 4-5 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

vs. 7-8 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

vs. 13-14 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Always Faithful...

I happened to see a flag flying today that caught my eye. It was the flag of the Marine Corps and as it flapped proudly in the wind I could read the words, "Semper Fi"....Always Faithful.  To a Marine, this signifies a faithfulness to their Corps, their Country and to fellow Marines.  And as I looked at the world around me, I thought about how perfectly this phrase also describes God...

Always faithful...

Psalm 113:2-3 (NIV)

Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.

I see the beauty of spring unveiling everywhere now...leaves, flowers, green grass.  The balance and predictability of this phenomenon, all occurring in a time where NOTHING seems predictable or sure anymore, is just breathtaking.  Nature has not stopped moving forward, one day at a time, just as it was designed so perfectly to do, because we are caught up in a global pandemic.

Always faithful...

Every day, just as it has from the day it was first created, the sun rises in the east and makes its way across the sky to its setting place in the west.  Do I ever doubt this?  Will I question as I fall asleep tonight whether the sun will rise again tomorrow morning?  

Isaiah 45:5-6 (NIV)
I am the LORD, and there is no other;
there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle,
though you have not known Me, so that all may know,
from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting,
that there is none but Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.

Always faithful...

Psalms 119:90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.

Nothing in this scenario of global disease and panic has changed God's faithfulness to me.  He is the same through all of this.  In His promises I can always trust, now and forevermore.

Always faithful...

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope

without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Don't ever doubt.  Keep your eyes focused on Him first and foremost.  He works most in our stubborn and calloused hearts when we are tested.  And He is surely allowing us to be tested now.  So let us not waste this time when so many of our comforts have been stripped away.  Let us cry out to Him Who is faithful...

Always faithful...

Psalm 36:5-9

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
letting them drink from your river of delights.
For you are the fountain of life,
the light by which we see.