To my King and my God

Psalm 5

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my meditation.
2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.

9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.
10 Pronounce them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.

11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield

Yes, this is another photo of the children. Praying today that God will surround all of us with his shield to protect us in whatever we do. I know we don't have to keep asking for what God has already promised us, but I think of it as not so much asking as confirming just like we all do when we greet someone or as we are leaving when we say "love you." I am very thankful for His protection and thankful I can talk to my King and my God anytime and He listens.

Being one

John 15:5

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

I love this passage for many reasons, but more because Jesus is talking directly to us and telling us how to live. He doesn't tell us to copy what he does. He tells us that we are both the same when we are living within each other. He in us and we in Him.

Now, I'm just a lay person and don't have a great deal of book theology behind me so in the beginning I thought of Jesus as a person to copy to emulate like you would someone you admire or hope to be like one day. Growing as a Christian I realized my thinking was wrong once I read this verse and remembered the goal is not to copy, but rather be. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean be Jesus, I mean have Him live in me and have me live in Him. Being one, that's the goal.


This is a painting by my friend L. Diane Johnson. The painting is sold, but you can find more of her work by going to http://www.ldianejohnson.com Or,it is also in print at Art.com:

http://www.art.com/asp/sp-asp/_/PD--12119367/SP--C/IGID--12119367/Vineyard_in_the_Garden.htm?sOrig=CRT&sOrigId=66290&ui=82681C8CE94D431BA89CD2862B2148A1

Enjoy

Short Story

Luke 9:23

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

I've read that Ernest Hemingway was challenged to write a story in six words. After he had done that he said he felt it was his greatest work. The words read, "For sale: baby shoes, never used." Reading this story tells the story, but leaves one wanting to dig further as to why. It's human nature to want to know why.

We all have heard and even repeated Luke 9:23 but for each of us the answer to what it means is different with each new day we face. Even the words "take up his cross" will mean different things to different people because Jesus is speaking directly to the reader when he says his cross. We don't pick up the cross of others, but rather pick up our own cross... daily. It's all part of accepting Jesus Christ by faith. One commentary by Darrell Bock, I read said it like this:

The essence of discipleship is humility before God. That humility expresses itself as self-denial. Taking up the cross daily and following Jesus means approaching ministry in the world as he did. He served and gave of himself daily, even to the cultural ignominy of publicly bearing rejection on the cross (Acts 5:30; Gal 3:13). The Savior bore rejection and death for others, and the disciple must follow in the same path of service. We must be prepared to accept rejection as a given. Everything Jesus teaches his disciples in chapters 9--19 will underscore this point.

Other commentaries said the cross is not ours but the cross of Jesus. Either way, I feel Jesus meant it to be the same. It's a short story with big impact and I am thankful for the message and the desire to know more.

The Word

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Such beautiful words to dwell on and be thankful for.

Blessings

Romans 15: 1-7

1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Sometimes I feel that I am a giving person and other times I think I'm selfish. Part of this, I know, has to do with my history. Growing up an Army brat found me many times having to give up most of the toys I had each time I moved to a new place. I resented having to give up my toys even if they were ragged. They were mine and I wanted to keep them. After I was married, I found myself in a situation where we needed to save every dime we could get our hands on. My husband was concerned about our future and had vowed that we would never be in the position of having our appliances taken away like he sometimes had to do on his job.

As I grew in my Christian faith and of course found myself living a comfortable life with both my husband and I having good jobs, I gave money to those less fortunate as often as asked but still I don't think I ever went out of my way. That's why I sometimes think of myself as selfish. In my heart I know that God loves me, wants the best for me and will always provide for me, but still there is a nagging fear of losing everything.... all my worldly possessions I've worked so hard for. And, yes, I know that I should think more about heavenly treasures and not put so much value on worldly treasures. I know, I know.

On this Thankful Thursday I am thankful that God continues to work in my life molding me and making me the person He would have me be. I pray that I can consecrate my gifts to God whether they be time, talents or worldly possessions and give of those unselfishly so that the blessing He has given to me I can give to others. The movie "Pay it Forward" comes to mind this morning thinking about how each giving action we take can make a difference in someone's life no matter how small or large that gift might be.


Prayer:

Lord help me find ways to be a giving person without first being asked. I want to stay strong in You and do the things You would have me do. I want to receive Your blessings so I might be a blessing to others.



Callaway Gardens Wild Verbena - May 7, 2008

Words

Words from Jesus: Matthew 12: 33-37

33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.

34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

It's been said that your eyes are windows to your heart. Maybe so, but I think it's also your words that tell everything about you heart, your soul and everything that makes you you. Today I pray that the words that come out of my mouth will be fully acceptable by God now and on the day of judgment. This is yet one more reason I am thankful that I have Him in my life to direct my days.

National Day of Prayer

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Today is the National Day of Prayer.

Genealogy

Matthew 1: 1-17

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.

3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.

4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.

5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,

6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.

7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.

8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah.

9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.

10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah.

11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.

13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.

14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud.

15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.

16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

I have a friend who is all into genealogy. She spends hours and hours doing research and learning interesting details about her family. I, on the other hand, only have a fleeting interest in knowing the roots of my family. I'm not really sure why except for the fact that I know knowing all that wouldn't change who I am. Maybe there are deeper reasons but I don't even care to know that either. The confusing part to me is that I absolutely love history and can spend hours and hours reading and exploring the events and people that have lived before me. Perhaps it's because I like to see the big picture and leave the details to others. Perhaps it's because I don't want to do the historical research myself, but want to read what others say. I don't know.

The verses this morning and the genealogy listed are very important. It's not just a useless list, but rather it shows the fulfillment of the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3. That's the chief intention but looking deeper at the names, there are some I recognize immediately as not being such good people. This also serves as a marker for us to realize what a big deal it was for Jesus, who knew no sin, to come down to our level taking on the form of man. This is how much He loved us. It is for His sacrifice I am thankful for on this Thankful Thursday.

Oh, by-the-way, my brothers name is Willam Asa Russell. He was named after both our grandfathers, George William Slaughter and Asa Russell. I just realized I don't know the full name of my grandfather Russell. Guess I should do something about that at least.



Tom, Brent, Phyllis Franklin - Circa 1974



"Summer Love" - The Blackbyrds - Circa 1974

What has mastered you?

2 Peter 2

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;

5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;

6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men

8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.

10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;

11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.

12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.

13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!

15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—a beast without speech—who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

17 These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.

18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.

19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.
20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.

21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

22 Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit,"and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."

Last night in prayer meeting we looked at Genesis 25 where Abraham died. I forget how old he was but 175 sticks in my mind. That's a long time to live. We talked about his life and the mistakes he made but how through it all he was a testimony to the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord and a good example to his families. That's a goal worthy to reach for.

Reading this morning in Second Peter, I find myself again thinking about Abraham and his faithfulness and role models. In this day it's easy to find people we admire that seem to live the kind of spiritual life we wish we lived. Still, we just can't use them as our spiritual yardstick no matter how good they happen to be if heaven is our goal because people are human after all and subject to mistakes. Jesus Christ should be the only yardstick we have. When we accept Him as our master, all else falls in place and we don't have to worry about false teachers or prophets. We listen to Him and measure all else by what He says. Peter is trying to tell us that we have to be on the look out and guard against people or anything that might become masters of our hearts and souls.

Bottom line, there is no spiritual path to follow excepting that given to us by Jesus Christ. Be on guard. Yesterday, today and tomorrow there will be those that offer a path that seems the right one and may even borrow His teachings and His words to bend them for their own purposes. Following after them instead of following Jesus Christ would be, well, just wrong.

Today I am thankful for the blessings in my life and the beauty of this earth.

Suffering for being a Christian

1 Peter 4: 12-19

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.

13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.

16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

18 And,
"If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"

19 So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

In today's world there are many who claim to be Christians. I am one of them. It's really hard to claim the name Christian when the world sees Christians in so many different lights. I suppose they are right because I too see many that are calling themselves Christians that don't believe as I do and I wonder if they realize the difference.

What does it mean to be a Christian? First of all, and most important, you have to be a follower of Jesus Christ and believe He died on the cross to pay for all our sins, in full. I suppose that's it in a nutshell.

On the internet, TV, radio and even in some churches, we are being spoon feed what seems like a type of religion, but in fact is just another wave of new age thinking. They leave out the most important thing. They are all about doing good, giving away material things, and seeking a "higher power". Baloney! You know what baloney is... it's a mixture of all kinds of throw away stuff. Something you wouldn't eat if you knew what it was really made of.

I worry about my granddaughters and how they will cope with the dangers of the world as it continues down the path of what appears to me as destruction. Just in my lifetime I have seen so many changes that it boggles my mind. There is no telling what will happen in the next twenty years if God sees fit to let our world continue.

Anyway, on this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful that I serve a living God, that my family is safe and secure, that my grandchildren have Christian parents and thankful for the beauty in my backyard that blesses my heart each time I walk outside.

Enjoy your day on God’s earth.



I had fun today taking photos of my yard. I don't think Cocoa Puff liked getting photographed. :) Or, maybe she just wasn't ready for her close-up.

From the heart

1 Peter: 13-25
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;

16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,

19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

24For,
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,

25 but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.

Carley Ann spent the night with me last night. When we crawled into bed I asked her if she wanted to say her prayers and she said no but she would hear mine. So, I prayed out loud and then Carley added her prayer to mine. You see, this just proves that sometimes we need a jump start to get us going. We all need each other, learn, grow and depend on each other to keep us going.

I'm thankful today that God never gives up on us and keeps us going. I’m thankful He is always there ready to listen to us and help us live our lives here on earth. I am thankful for His word that stands forever.

For some reason Anna Claire and Carley Ann have become fascinated with ants. I think last night was the first time I've ever prayed for or rather about ants. I am thankful for the wonder of little children. The last thing Carley Ann said to me before she went to sleep was "Memama, I love you in my heart." Today I am thankful for all the love in our hearts.

Wisdom is as wisdom does

James 3:13-18

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.

15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.

16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Today I am thankful for the wisdom found in God's word and for time to let His words soak into my heart. Wisdom is as wisdom does.

Callaway Gardens April 2007

The crown of life

James 1: 12-18 NIV

12 Blessed is the man who keeps on going when times are hard. After he has come through them, he will receive a crown. The crown is life itself. God has promised it to those who love him.

13 When you are tempted, you shouldn't say, "God is tempting me." God can't be tempted by evil. And he doesn't tempt anyone.

14 But your own evil longings tempt you. They lead you on and drag you away.

15 When they are allowed to grow, they give birth to sin. When sin has grown up, it gives birth to death.

16 My dear brothers and sisters, don't let anyone fool you.

17 Every good and perfect gift is from God. It comes down from the Father. He created the heavenly lights. He does not change like shadows that move.

18 God chose to give us new birth through the message of truth. He wanted us to be the first and best of everything he created.

KJV

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Confess

Philippians 2:5-11 (King James Version)

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I sometimes wish that there was a button to press that could instantly make me have the mindset of Christ and I would do no wrong. Thinking about this made me think of how as a painter I try to copy what I see before me. The trick to painting what you see correctly is simple observation. You make a mark on your canvas and then all other marks are put down in relationship to that first mark. If you first mark is wrong, then all others will be off and it will be harder for you to correct. Sometimes starting over is best and sometimes it helps to read the manual... how to paint 101.

As a Christian, I am thankful that God allows us to start over if we make a mistake. Sometimes our first marks are wrong and the canvas just needs to be cleaned so we can begin anew. In John 1:9 we read "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I'm really thankful we can be forgiven.

I'm thankful that God has given us the living example of Jesus Christ to copy. I'm thankful for the Bible, our instruction manual.

I'm thankful for a new life canvas today.

It's going to be a very thankful Thursday!


Ms. Beverly, Anna Claire and Carley Ann's teacher
We love you Ms. Beverly and are so very thankful for you.

Gifts

Matthew 6:1-4 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

How to Give
1 "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 So whenever you give to the poor, don't sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. I assure you: They've got their reward!

3 But when you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Many years ago during Christmas season I baked cookies to give as gifts to all my friends and relatives. I was careful to decorate them so special and they were works of art for sure. I wish I had taken pictures of them, but I didn't. Anyway, I decided that the people who pick up my trash would be the recipients of some of my art cookies, so I carefully packaged them and put them on the counter waiting for the morning to come so I could run out and put them where they could find them since the next day was trash day.

The next morning I walked to the trash bins and put my beautifully wrapped Christmas cookie sacks on a log that was close to the trash bins. I was sure there would be no mistaking that these packages marked with tags that said ‘THANK YOU, have a merry Christmas’ were gifts so I went back into the house and listened for the sound of the trash trucks so I could rush to the window and see them get their gifts. I waited and waited and as the day unfolded and the afternoon arrived, I realized the trash trucks were not coming.

Brent, my son, came by and when he noticed that I kept going to the kitchen and looking out the window, he was curious as to what was distracting me from paying attention to what he had come to talk with me about. When I told him he said, “Mom, don’t you know? The trash pick-up schedule has been changed for the holidays and there is no pick up today.”

Since I had given all the cookies away, he was glad there was no trash pick up. The cookies would be all his! We walked together to the trash bins and picked up the cookie sacks and quickly put them back down. The sacks were covered with ants. We both had a laugh and every year since then Brent always asks me if I’m going to bake cookies for the trash people. No one else understands why we laugh.

Today I am thankful for lessons learned. Ants like cookies. Ants work year round.

Speech or Speach

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV)

Have you ever stopped somewhere and asked for directions and then wondered what the person meant or read a letter, book or article and just shook your head because you couldn't understand what they wanted to say? I sure did this the two times I've had the opportunity to travel to Europe as an adult, once to France and then once back to Germany where we lived as a family when I was in kindercare. The folks spoke a different language. Sometimes even here in Georgia I realize some of our words are not easily understood. We tend to draw out all our vowels, put more letters in, and have sayings that it seems only someone living in the south can understand. Sometimes I write as I speak. Yesterday I sent out an email without doing spell check and when someone responded back leaving my message intact, I realized, to my horror, I had spelled the word speech as speach. Oh well, at least the letter sounded like me. :)

As I read in Matthew this morning I marveled at how easy Jesus was able to give us directions. Off the top of my head I can think of several analogies when Jesus gave specific directions or helped us understand or think deeper on what it means to be a Christian; how to get to heaven. In John 8:12 we read, "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." In John 14:6 we read, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." As a matter of fact the entire chapter of John 14 gives us a wealth of things to think about, dig deeper on, direction. It's one of my favorite chapters.

John 14 (KJV)
1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

8Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

20At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

25These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

29And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

30Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

31But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

Hope you have a good day. It's cold today in Georgia. I'm looking forward to the burst of blooms to come in spring. The image today shows a yellow azalea at Callaway Gardens. I hope I can enjoy the cold today. I know it has a purpose, so I'll be patient and thankful for the cold too.

Time

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

Surprise, I'm up an hour early today. Terri, Brent and the children are sick and have been since Monday with flu or virus or whatever that bug is. Fortunately, I'm well. Terri brought Carley Ann and Anna Claire to me yesterday around lunchtime. She was exhausted and needed some help. I kept the girls until dinnertime and Anna Claire spent the night and will stay with me today. This is exactly what life is about. Needing each other, helping each other and being more than you. How people get along in this world without needing each other is a mystery to me.

I'm reading Oprah's new book selection "A new earth" by Eckhart Tolle. So far I'm learning his thoughts about the human ego and how our egos tend to define us individually and to others. I have to admit he has given me some things to think about, but I am concerned when I read the passages where he lumps Jesus, Buddha and others in the same category, or so it appears to me. When I finish this book, Beth as said she would read it and tell me what she thinks. She'll probably think I'm a crazy lady when she sees everything I have underlined and crossed out.

I'm thankful today that my tailbone, hip, leg and knee are feeling so much better and stronger. Yesterday I walked to the mailbox without much trouble at all. At times my limp is not even noticeable. It's still hard to move from a sitting position to standing, but I think this too will get better. Maybe Dr. D. is wrong and I won't have to have knee replacement. I'm clinging to that thought!

I'm also thankful that I can have time each morning to spend in the Word, listen to God and write. It is the peaceful time of the morning I most treasure. I get to watch the sun rise and hear the birds wake up and get a fresh start on each new day.

I'm thankful for my family and my friends and my life. Matthew 6:33 is so true. If we seek God first in our daily prayers we strengthen ourselves to bear up under daily troubles and challenges.

There is no method to where I read in his Word each morning so it always amazes me what I find and what He tells me. I'm thankful that God does provide everything we need. He is, after all, the Good Shepherd and I find comfort in being in His care.

Love

1 Corinthians 13 (New International Version)

Love

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

How will I express love today? I am truly thankful to those that have extended love to me and me to them for without love we all would not survive.

Happy Valentines Day

Today’s image is showing my valentine gift from my friend Joni. Thank you Joni; I’ll treasure it always.

Preference

I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. Proverbs 8:17

When I don't feel well everything I do seems to take such effort and I begin to question if any of it is necessary. Well, some things are necessary for life and something we just do because it's our preference, our choice.

One of the things that I have done off and on most of my life is write down my thoughts and sometimes prayers to God. There have been times in my life that I didn't journal at all, and I have to admit there have been times I didn't even talk to God. Looking back, those were really awful days. Did God go somewhere? Did I not need Him? Was I too busy or too tired? Was I just ashamed of myself and thought I could hide?

Why do I feel the need to write down my morning thoughts as part of my devotion time? Why not just skip it. I know that my motives are misplaced if I think reading my Bible, praying, writing in my journal or just striving to be the person God would have me be makes God happy because He is going to be happy no matter what I do. He loves me unconditionally and for that I am very grateful.

I choose to write down my thoughts and prayers because it makes me happy. Every single thing that God tells us to do, He tells us to do it because it is good for us. He doesn't ask us to devote ourselves to study and prayer because it is good for Him; it's because it is good for us. Journaling is good. I'm happy.

The bottle shop

Proverbs 17:22 says “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”

One afternoon my mother and I were returning from a shopping trip near Atlanta. As usual my Mother chattered away as I drove and listened. Suddenly she said, "oh look, there's a bottle shop.... I need to bring my glass bottles up here and sell them". I looked and sure enough there was a bottle shop, which I knew was the name of a liquor store. I almost had a wreck because I was laughing so hard at the idea she thought the shop was a shop that sold bottles like an antique shop.

How was it that my Mother didn't know what a bottle shop was? Was the term "bottle shop" not a southern term? I always thought it was. As I tried to regain my composure, I told my Mother what a bottle shop was and all she said was, "oh, I didn't know." I know this story probably isn't so funny to others, but to me it was the laugh of the century and every time I go by that bottle shop I just smile.

As I think about that experience this morning I am thinking about other funny things that my mother does... and also wondering if my son thinks I do funny things. I bet he does. Sometimes I even get to laugh at myself. Laughing is good.

Love Never Fails

The Love Chapter

New International Version (NIV)
1 Corinthians 13

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Be sure to watch the video below all the way to the end. No matter if it's your spouse, your friend, your family, your pet, or just the spirit of God, it helps if you have a hand to hold on to. Thanks for holding my hand today!

You may have to double click the center arrow to get the video going. Short video lasts about 1.44 minutes.



And this from Joni. (Tissues required)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zCdZwitrNoY