Mountain Home

Muddled Mind

2010-07-24T08:33:00.003-04:00

It’s early in the morning here at the cabin. Everyone is still sleeping as I close myself into my little room with only my faithful dog and my cup of coffee. I try to focus on the task at hand, but so many thoughts are crowding my mind for attention. I pick up the dulcimer and begin to strum. Many times that will quiet my racing mind and help me to focus on the Lord.

“Just a Closer Walk With Thee”
“Just As I Am”
“Sweet Hour of Prayer”

Sometimes the mind clears by now. Not today. I move to “In The Pines” and “Amazing Grace”. Things are beginning to fall into order.

What do you do when things are all jumbled? Even when I try to live right and keep my mind clean, I get assaulted. Strangely it’s not always with ‘worldly’ thoughts. Instead, prayer concerns of family & friends … our own household concerns … thoughts of the coming days … you name it. When I am praying, little thoughts of what I should be “doing” keep trying to distract me; and when I’m “doing”, thoughts of how I should be more focused on my Spiritual growth and outreach hound me. Please tell me that I’m not alone in this. I guess the distractions are the worst when I am trying to write. A simple post may take only a few hours and some take days. I can’t count the number that were started and ended up in the computer trashcan.

I have found that sorting through the muddled mess in my mind can be awful time consuming. Personally, I think that’s where satan hits us the hardest – in the mind. If he can keep us preoccupied and focused on self, we can’t be effective for God. I have to choose each day not to allow myself to get caught up in the ‘self’-awareness bog. I take everything to God. I pray for the family & friends who are concerning me instead of holding onto their problems as my own. I have to give them to God or the weight of their issues would smother me. I give our own family concerns to Him as well. If I can’t “fix” it … He can.

Often a long walk with Bandit gives me time to pray and sort out my priorities. Time is so short.

What is the most important thing? Serving God.

How can I best do that today? Get close to Him and reach out to others.

What is stopping me from doing this? I list these issues to God one by one and give them to Him to deal with.

Now, what can I do today/right now to best serve God? My priorities start to line up.

I would like to say that I am such a mighty Christian that I am on track 24/7. But that would be lying. I struggle with ‘self’ every day of the week. I have to choose God’s Will every day. With all the distractions in this world & in my own mind … that’s tough. I figure that when satan’s minions are smacking us the hardest, it must mean that we are getting closer to winning a victory for the Lord. That gets the adrenaline pumping. It gives me a deep-down determination to push harder. I can’t let ‘stuff’ distract me … we are too close.

Whenever we come to mind … a fleeting thought … whisper a little prayer for us. God has given us a work to do, and the devil is throwing everything in the book at us right now. That encourages me. We must be on the right track. There’s a victory right around the corner if we can just stay focused and not surrender to distractions.

Right now, I hear footsteps upstairs so that means it’s time to move on to the ‘doing’ part of the day. Before I close, I want to thank everyone who have been praying for and encouraging us. You will never truly know how much you help us stay on track. I pray for you as well. Soon, very soon, we will be praising God together in His presence! Until then …

Have a great day & may the Lord bless you.

Another Random Question

2010-07-14T15:18:00.002-04:00

I’ve been doing some reading lately, and a thought started tickling my mind. It may sound a bit crazy to most, but let your imagination go a little crazy for a moment.

Question: What if the Apostles would have had access to our modern technology?

I don’t know where these thoughts come from. Some tell me that I have too much time on my hands. Others simply think I spend too much time alone. To be truthful, this kind of thinking is more pronounced when I am around other people on a regular basis. But back to the question, What if the Apostles of the New Testament had access to our modern technology?

Just imagine the emails. Paul could have zipped off a couple dozen epistles, by email, to the Thessalonian church in just a matter of hours; and then the church could have forward them along to each of the members. He could have saved himself a lot of walking and maybe even some prison time by simply setting up an office in a little village or cave. With the electronic devices we have today, such as cell phones & the ever-intrusive IM, he could have easily eluded capture before the Romans even approached the outskirts of town.

Just think of how the Psalms and prophecies would have circulated around the globe in Forwards. I’m sure they would have been complete with the cute little pictures & animation.

I personally don’t Twitter, thus don’t really understand it … but Peter could have broadcast his epistles to the world a sentence at a time. Do you suppose that he would have used the standard LOL, or ROFL? How about TTYL?

John the Revelator would have become youtube’s biggest hit. The only drawback would be that the contents would have been in little 5-minute segments. Don’t you know that the comment sections under the videos would be full! There are programs where a person can stream “live”. As a matter of fact, we can watch the folks praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem 24 hours a day. (I wonder if that’ll be the technology used when the two Witnesses testify during the Tribulation.)

All of this information could then be compiled in a multimedia website, with each taking turns manning the interactive bulletin boards.

Technology is truly amazing. Most of it became daily living essentials during my lifetime. There are some really great folks using all of the above to spread God’s Word and encourage the Saints. But somehow I can’t help but think that sharing the Good News is loosing its personal touch. Remember the good old days where two folks would sit at the kitchen table and talk about God and His mercy over a danish and a cup of coffee? Once upon a time, when I was constantly on the go, I kept a Bible in the car. I never knew when I would need it to share with others. There would be bookmarks and highlights marking the Roman Road passages.

You know, Paul could never have reached that jailer for the Lord if he wasn’t in that jail. It was an up-close and personal moment that led the Ethiopian to the Lord as well. I want to encourage you to keep your Bibles handy, and always look for an opportunity to share Jesus on a personal level. There is absolutely no part of life that Jesus and God’s plan for us doesn’t fit in. And in the meantime, keep those fwds, emails, and text messages going out! ROFL!

Have a great day, and may the Lord bless you.

While There Was Silence

2010-07-09T13:16:00.002-04:00

I’m sorry for the long silence. It’s been a busy time here at the cabin. An update on the latest events …

Meja has moved back home. She and her kitten “Moina” have settled in nicely. They brought youth & excitement back into the ‘old folks home’ and are adding a refreshing breeze of life. Welcome home Sweetheart! Bandit & Moina keep me entertained during the day while everyone is away at work. I’ll add pictures of the two ruffians in the sidebar from time to time.

On July 4th, I became a grandma! Due to complications in my future daughter-in-law’s health, my little granddaughter had to be taken by C-section two months early. It was & is a very exciting, yet turbulent time. But thanks to the many prayer warriors and the amazing grace of God, the delivery went smoothly and Savannah Elizabeth was born. I was told that she came out kicking and screaming. Sounds like she is going to be a real fighter. She will be in the neonatal unit for several weeks yet. The last update is that she’s had a set back, but she is progressing quickly. My future daughter-in-law has experienced some complications, but she is on the road to recovery and is expected to leave the hospital within the next few days. My son, well he is holding up like a trooper as he juggles work, trips to the hospital, and spending time at home with his soon-to-be son.

My youngest son, with the help of his wife, has become a youth minister at their local IHOP (International House of Prayer). It’s a big challenge, but I am excited for him/them. Today’s youth are in strong need of men & women of God who are called to step up to the plate. Folks, today’s youth are in trouble. Most have never entered the doors of a church. They have never had the sound Biblical teaching that was so common when I was a child.

A couple of weeks ago, I received the movie “Saint John in Exile” from Netflix. A lot of the “Christian” movies today aren’t Biblically accurate and have to be viewed with a prayer for discernment. This particular film is a one-man play with Dean Jones portraying John the Revelator during his time on Patmos. It was filmed back in the 1990s, and if you haven’t seen it … I strongly recommend it! I have never seen anything quite like it. I guess the best way I can describe it is that it made Jesus even more real to me. I truly saw a picture of Jesus in that performance.

While I was previewing this film, a certain friend of Meja’s came to mind. I had introduced him to Jesus a few weeks before and felt certain that the film would give him a better picture of the Jesus of the Bible … not just the Jesus in the history books. I had been praying for this young man for months, and have been concerned that once he left for college this fall, he would drift out of our lives before the introduction to Jesus could be complete. As the film ended, I found myself weeping and asking God for just one more opportunity to share Jesus with this young man. I was very specific in my prayer … I asked the Lord to bring him to the house and have him watch the movie with me. Call me crazy if you want, but when I finished praying, I felt sure that my prayer would be answered. I told God that because of that feeling of assurance, I was going to hang onto the movie until the young man showed up. You know, satan’s minions began attacking me immediately with thoughts like … ‘What makes you think that this young man is just going to show up at your door?’ … ‘If this fellow does show up, why would he possibly want to waste his time watching a video with an old woman?’ … ‘All this continuous talk of Jesus is going to turn him off to Christianity.’ … the list goes on. As the thoughts came, I’d push them aside. I just kept praying. I knew that this was not a spontaneous young man; but I also know that he gives careful thought to all that he sees & hears. I knew that if he could just see what Christ & Christianity was truly about, he would consider it careful and come to the right conclusion. I kept on praying and impatiently waiting on him to show up.

Just a few days later, I get a call late one morning from this fella. He wanted to know if he could stop by to drop off some things that Meja & I had loaned him. (normally, he would have just given them to Meja at work.) The timing of this call was terrible! There was a full day of chores left to do … I was hot & sweaty … and I needed a shower desperately! So, I told him to come right over. I wasn’t going to give satan even an extra minute to cause this young man to change his mind. The attacks began coming like a flood. I started praying intently! God was going to get him here, I was going to keep my word, stinky or not! Within minutes he was here. Just so happens he didn’t have to go to work for a few hours yet. And when I asked him to watch the video with me, he didn’t look at me like I was crazy. Instead, and without hesitation, he said “sure”.

Satan wasn’t through trying to stop the message from getting to him. As the movie began, the kitten he had given Meja pounced on him and tried to distract him with her antics. I started praying with all my might that God would settle the kitten down and not let him get distracted. You know, that kitten stopped playing and laid at our feet. She didn’t move again until the video was over. The phone started ringing. I deflected the callers and kept praying. Because the Lord answered each and every one of my prayers specifically, I knew that this message was meant for this young man. Deep in me, I know that this fella has a purpose in God’s plan. He watched intently and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the intended message went deep. As he was leaving, I told him that God has a purpose for his life and to seek the Lord. With a look of consideration, he nodded his head. After he left, I felt a deep sense of peace. The job that God had given me to do was done. Now, I continue to pray for him. I may or may not know the final outcome until I reach heaven’s gates. But that’s not what counts. What matters is that God answered all my prayers, (down to the smallest detail), and put me in the battle one more time.

Folks, God answers prayer! Not just my prayers – There is not a prayer uttered or thought that God does not answer. The answers are usually “Yes”, “No”, or “Wait”. If He didn’t give you the shiny red convertible that you were praying for … you may want to reconsider your prayer life. Ask God to put someone on your heart. Then start praying. We are all called, first & foremost, to be prayer warriors!

You know, when I first started writing this … I had something else in mind for today. Over the past few weeks, I have started dozens of topics. I couldn’t write. I was feeling a lot like Zacharias. It seems that God uses these ‘silent’ times to teach me. Then He opens the floodgates. As I continue to learn the most recent lesson, I’ll be passing it along. God is so very good!

Have a great day & may the Lord bless you!

Moving Day

2010-06-11T17:42:00.000-04:00

Today starts the beginning of another chapter in our lives. Today is moving day for our daughter. Two jobs, seven days a week, and the economy was a bit much for her at this time. With much discussion, we’ve decided to circle the wagons for a spell and see what our family’s options are. It’ll be an adjustment for her to be back home. She’s been out of the house for about two years now. She left when she wasn’t much older than a child, and now she’s coming back a young lady. We can’t just slide back into the parent/teenager roles of the past. That will be a challenge for Honey & I … in turn, she will discover that us old folks haven’t been sitting stagnant in the pool either. We’ve changed, grown, and our quirks aren’t quite the same as when she left. She has to see us in a new light too.

I guess we don’t always stop to see our personal changes very often. The changes are rarely overnight. That may explain why the people who raised me aren’t the same people I know today. I’ve loved the changes they have gone through as they’ve gotten older; and I love the way our relationships have changed as well. I talked with my youngest son today for quite a while and I guess this “change” thing was on my mind, because I really listened to his thoughts and ideas. I take joy in the man he has grown up to be. Just like I am enjoying the ever-evolving relationships with all the kids. I feel pretty sure that the adjustments of Meja’s returning home will have it’s share of trials … it will also have it’s rewards. I look forward to rediscovering the woman that she is becoming.

Well the moving crew should be here any minute. I’d better get things moved around to accommodate her and her new kitten. Have a great day & may the Lord bless you!

God Provides

2010-06-06T18:10:00.000-04:00

Well, we made it through the week of layoff in pretty good shape. Honey spent the week working around the house and gathering up scrap metal to haul off. This was a task that he has been wanting and needing to do for quite some time, but the collection place wasn’t open on Saturdays and it was impossible to work a full day and go the 40 plus miles to unload before they closed for the day. So, with a lot of effort, he and his Dad took advantage of the week, stayed at it, and a load of stuff rolled out of here about 5 AM Friday morning. I would have done a snoopy dance if it wouldn’t have been so early in the morning. I have been waiting a long time to see that stuff go away. Later he called from his folks’ house and said that the front end of his truck had gone out on the way home. Now isn’t that how things work? He and his Dad spent the rest of the day fixing the truck. All in all, the truck repairs came to about $5 more than the amount the scrap metal sold for. Is God good or what!?! We haven’t scrimped any more than we usually do, and God has gotten us through the week just fine. The last word Honey got was he goes back to work Monday morning. It’s been nice having him around this past week, and the best part has been the “peace”. No anxious moments, and no worries.

Across the road, our neighbors are feeling the pinch from the economy as bad, if not worse, than we are. We are hearing tempers flair more and more as the stress wears them down. The general mood around town is one of mounting anger. People are becoming overwhelmed with stress as the cost of living shoots up and the work hours are reduced. Whenever I hear folks say that the legislation that’s been passed in the federal & state governments won’t affect the people negatively, I look around and figure someone is lying. Unemployment is climbing, price of living is climbing, and people are working two jobs - and still not making ends meet.

We live very simply here at the cabin. Our only real extravagance is the internet. It’s an $8 dial-up connection through the phone company. That’s all we can get here in the meadow; and to be honest, that’s all we really need. We are simple folks and God provides all our needs, quite a few of our wants, and it’s becoming easier and easier to trust in Him completely. When the world continues to get scarier, we will be ready to rely on God for everything while the world around us will be in a panic. They have put their trust in the gods of education & money. Those gods will fail, and then what? Learning faith is the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do, and we’ve still got a long ways to go – but as God leads us, we have discovered a peace that we had only heard about. God will provide. I become more certain of that truth with each step we take in faith.

Walk in faith, have a great day & may the Lord bless you!

Looks Like Rain

2010-05-27T17:18:00.000-04:00

Looks like rain. We apparently got a pretty good thunderstorm last night. After several days of record-breaking heat and overpowering humidity, the rain was more than welcome. This morning we woke to a soft breeze and cooler temperatures. It sure acts like we may get a real summer this year. We have already seen more warm days this season than we did all last summer. And as today progresses, the humidity is rising and it is looking like there may be more rain tonight. Will this be a gentle soaker or a gully-washer? Time will tell.

There seems to be another storm on the horizon for us as well. Honey went back to work about three weeks ago. There has been a question as to how the local construction industry will fare in these uncertain times. The general consensus has been that the bottom would eventually drop out; the question of ‘when?’ has been the unknown. Well, “when” seems to be coming sooner rather than later. Honey said that materials have been going out in pickups instead of dump trucks these past few weeks. The added federal taxes, and New Hampshire’s own ‘stimulus-type’ taxes, are becoming the nails in the coffin. Hours are being cut and businesses are teetering on the collapsing edge. Honey started looking for part-time work to supplement while we seek God’s guidance. Out of only two jobs available, he found a possible evening/weekend position with a trucking company that hauls linen to area hospitals. The owner told him that the position will hopefully expand to full-time in the coming months. If the dump trucks go silent, the transition to full-time with this other company may be an option. Right now, we are spending time together seeking God’s will & provision. We’ve learned not to fear. God has shown over and over that He hears our prayers and will lead us if we seek Him.

There are so many people out of work that we have been fortunate. Unlike the weather, we don’t have to question the intensity of the economic storm. The Bible has done what weather forecasters can’t seem to do … It tells us with complete certainty what the coming days will bring. The storm clouds cropping up around the country and around the world are going to bring a real devastating gully-washer. There is no question that we are living in the last days and things will progress as God said they would, no matter what man tries to do. It isn’t my intention to be the voice of doom. God knew how it was all going to progress to an end before He ever breathed life into man’s beginning. He gave us His Holy Word to help us know Him and to help us prepare. God didn’t instruct Honey and me to build a bunker in the middle of the desert so we could hide. He instructs us to get up close to Him, seek Him and pray.

“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12

When I opened my Bible just now to find a particular Scripture that talks about the promise of God’s provision, I saw this:

“For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.” Isaiah 25:4

This wasn’t the one I had been looking for, but it just seems to fit perfectly. If you are facing challenges that seem too big – seek God. He will be everything Isaiah described and so much more.

Remember, fear & faith can’t be maintained at the same time. It’s either one or the other. If you are afraid, seek God. Ask Him to build your faith. God is always in control and He always keeps His promises. With His help & guidance, we will get through the coming storms.

Have a great day, and may the Lord bless you!

Bandit

2010-05-20T16:12:00.002-04:00

It’s been busy here at the cabin the past few weeks. If I didn’t know any better, I would almost think that the world is spinning faster. I just don’t know where the days are going. It seems I don’t get started good before it’s time to turn out the lights and call it quits.

After Honey started back to work, the cabin started getting awful quiet. So about a week ago we added a new member to our family. His name is Bandit. He’s a 14-month-old chow mix. We had chows back when I was younger, so I took to him right off. Bandit has the look & protectiveness of a chow, and the personality of a lab. Unlike the full-blood chow, he’s very social and playful. And he has been great company for me while Honey is away.

We’ve had quite a time getting to know each other. I suspect that he earned the name Bandit for a reason. The dog steals socks and towels every chance he can. He doesn’t chew on them; he just sort of wads them up and lays on them. Oddly enough that’s about the only thing he doesn’t chew on.

Leash training has been a real challenge. The whole concept was new to him. In the beginning, he would fight the leash whenever I was leading him somewhere that he had no intention of going. As I watched him, I thought about how much he resembles me whenever God tries to direct my steps and I would get headstrong, wanting things my way. Bandit would often take the leash in his teeth and try to ‘lead’ me in the direction that he wanted to go. Haven’t I done similar things with God? Don’t I try to tell God through prayer how I want Him to respond to my needs? How many times have I cried out to God because events occurred that kept me from taking the path that ‘I’ wanted to take? God patiently teaches me that if I will just settle down and follow Him, my life could be so much better.

I’ve often heard it said that people choose pets that best reflect their own personalities. In learning Bandit’s personality, I guess there might be something to that. He is overly curious, very headstrong, and if left to his own devices for too long … very prone to getting into something he shouldn’t. Yep, that sounds like me all right.

Time’s up. Honey will be home soon and I still need to finish my chores & start supper. Have a great day & may the Lord bless you!

Put Your Name In It

2010-04-29T20:51:00.001-04:00

It’s been quite a week here at the cabin. For a day or so we had rain; then it turned into snow for a couple of days. Today the sun came out and the wind started blowing again. Springtime is never very predictable. I just wait to see what’s going to happen next. I’m finding that it doesn’t do any good to fuss about the weather. Just wait a little while and it’ll change.

This afternoon I had gone outside to spend some time with God in prayer and when I came back in to write, the house was dark. It wasn’t a major inconvenience. The house was holding the warmth from the west sun. We had a simple meal before it started getting dark, and the power came back on just in time for me to do dishes. Am I blessed or what!

While I was making the bed this morning, I happened to turn the radio on. I don’t generally listen to it and hardly ever tune it to the Christian station. (I don’t care for their formula songs, and a lot of the preaching had gotten a bit too ‘fluffy’ and off-base) But Alister Begg was finishing up his broadcast and said something that really stuck in my mind. The concept isn’t new. As a matter of fact, he said that it was something his Sunday school teacher had told them back when he was a boy – but it is as true now as it’s ever been.

When you read Scriptures like,
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16), put your name in it. Read it aloud and when you get to the word whosoever, insert your name instead. The word whosoever is a place-keeper. It’s like the (____) in a letter or book. The word whosoever is me, it’s you, and it’s the folks down the road.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever (Lee Ann) believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
And the Scripture Mark 8:35,
“For whoever (Lee Ann) wants to save his (her) life will lose it, but whoever (Lee Ann) loses his (her) life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

Now it’s your turn. Put your name in it,

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever (_____) believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“For whoever (______) wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever (____) loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Mark 8:35

This seems like a simple little concept. But if you think about it for a minute you’ll see that this is actually really profound.

This is just a little food for thought. Chew on it awhile. I found it to be beyond satisfying. It is a reminder that God chose me. He loves me enough to send Jesus to pay my debt. He chose you too. He loves you so much that He sent Jesus to pay your debt too! That kind of love still takes my breath away.

My time is up. Our schedule now requires me to be finished up and in bed very soon. But have a great night & may the Lord bless you!

It's Time

2010-04-25T20:11:00.003-04:00

It’s been a wonderful weekend here at the cabin. Now that spring has arrived, the ‘to do’ list just keeps growing. The seedlings in the mudroom are coming along nicely, the green house will be going up in about a week, and the section of the yard that will be used for the colder climate plants is cleared and ready for Honey to till. Most gardens aren’t planted until Memorial Day, so the transplants have a little more time to grow.

Honey starts back to work tomorrow! The seasonal layoff is finally over and we begin our regular schedule once again. I’m going to miss having him around, but it’s going to be good to be back to normal. He spent his last afternoon of ‘freedom’ writing for Sojourner. If you have a minute, stop by and check it out. God has done some really wonderful things with Honey over the course of the winter. The more he hungers for the Lord, the more the Lord is glorified in my husband’s words & deeds. It does my heart good to watch him grow in the Lord.

Ladies, if you aren’t married … never settle for less than a man who is 100% committed to the Lord. When a husband is following the Lord, trust issues don’t happen. When a husband is following the Lord, there is an enormous sense of security in the home. And when a husband is following the Lord, all disagreements are usually settled with a prayer much like mine “Lord, you know that man you gave me…” It always ends with, “Lord, if he’s wrong … please tell him. But if I’m wrong, could you tell me?” I have yet to see that prayer go unanswered. And ladies, if you are married to a man who isn’t walking very close to God … keep praying for him; and treat him with all the love and respect that you can give. The prayers of a godly wife are always heard! Just be careful if you get the urge to ask God to smack your husband. When the husband gets smacked, we suffer the results too.

We need to pray for our husbands frequently. There’s not a day that goes by when he walks out the door to go to work that I don’t pray for him as he leaves. Then I rest assured that God’s going to be right there watching over him all day long. It’s a dangerous world out there. God’s protection is so vital no matter what job they do.

Oh and husbands, your wife not only needs a man who is absolutely sold out to the Lord, she also needs a man who prays for her daily as well. She needs to know that she is loved & cherished every minute of the day and nothing will convey this to her like you taking her hand and praying for her safety & her concerns with her. Women like to hear their men talk to God on their behalf!

There is so much more I could say, but it’s time to finish the day; 4:30 is going to come awful early tomorrow. Have a great night, and may the Lord bless you.

Old Hymns

2010-04-20T17:51:00.001-04:00

It is a beautiful spring day here at the cabin. The sun is shinning and there’s a little bit of a nip in the breeze. After the rain and snow that we were having over the weekend, this is a welcome change! Honey has taken his brother-in-law out for day of ‘guy shopping’. Since his last brain surgery, Allan hasn’t gotten out much. So we were excited to see him take interest in getting out today.

As for me, being home alone has been productive. There’s a pot of red beans on the stove, a loaf of fresh bread cooling on the counter and all is right with the world. I’ve still got a mound of dishes to finish and a few clothes to fold, but I don’t think I can resist the urge to take my little dulcimer out on the porch for a little music practice before the sun goes down and the night chill settles over the meadow.

I’ve been learning the old hymn “At Calvary”. I have found that songs come easiest to me if I can associate the musical notes with the words of the songs. In learning this way, I have really come to appreciate the lyrics of these songs so much more. I grew up in the Baptist church. These hymns were sung repeatedly Sunday after Sunday, but I never really stopped to look closely at the messages that they were conveying … until now. “At Calvary” speaks to my heart and tells my story. It’s kind of funny; the one verse that speaks the loudest is the one that is often skipped over,

“Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus everything; Now I gladly own Him as my King; Now my raptured soul can only sing of Calvary. Mercy there was great, and grace was free; Pardon there was multiplied to me; There my burdened soul found liberty, At Calvary.”

I love the new praise and worship songs that are being adopted by the churches today. I think we all need to really seek that close personal relationship with the Lord; but I hate to see the old hymns being shoved aside. There is power in those old hymns. They talk about hardship, grief, and the sinfulness of mankind. And they talk about the power of the Blood of Jesus! The Blood of Jesus can make us new! The Blood of Jesus can change our lives! The Blood of Jesus was/is for everyone – no exception! So the next time you go to church. Get there a little early and spend a few minutes reading through the hymnbook. You just might find that the Jesus you sing adoration to is also the Jesus whose Blood is powerful enough to make your stained life clean and new again.

The sun will be setting soon. Have a great day & may the Lord bless you!

Stopping to Pray

2010-04-18T13:51:00.003-04:00

I’m a very impulsive person. I have found over the years that I drive people crazy, especially when they try to give me directions or instructions. Before they can get the completed instructions out of their mouths, I have already supposed the task at hand and have taken off of my own course of action. Just ask Honey. That’s been his biggest frustration with me during the ten years of our marriage. I do the same thing with God more often than not. He starts to show me something that I need to write about in the future, and before I have been given the complete picture, I’m off on my own gathering notes on the topic, starting my rough drafts, etc. He usually stalls me out after a short period of time and I can almost hear Him audibly say “Wait! I’m not through yet.” I suspect that I know why writing is such a challenge for me. Maybe He uses my deficits to slow me down where I have to wait on Him. The things that God has been putting on my heart lately haven’t completely formulated yet. Instead I want to share something that came to mind today.

Early this morning while I was browsing the news, I was reading how the terrorist groups are forming coalitions against Israel. The Scriptures talk about how in the last days the nations will join forces to attack the country of Israel. (Sadly, the U.S. administration has taken the formal stance to turn its back on Israel recently as well.) As I was reading about this coalition of sorts, the following Scripture came to mind,

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my breathren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the Lord our God will I seek thy good.” Psalm 122:6-9

I paused for a moment and told the Lord that I try to pray for Israel, but it’s difficult for me to pray, with passion, for a country. When I pray for Israel, the image that comes to mind is an outline on a map. Then I was reminded of the blog A Soldier’s Mother. I have the link in my favorites file so I opened it up. The writer and her family live in Israel, and she writes about having sons in the military there. She also writes of other things like what it’s like to live in Israel, some of the Jewish customs, life in a country that is always under the threat of war & terror, and about raising a family in these troubling times. The woman who writes this is a very gifted writer. She gives faces to the people that live there. When I read her accounts, Israel stops being a place on a map. It becomes a country filled with people. People with hopes and dreams. Families with love and concern for each other and their country. People who want nothing more in this world than to live in the same peace that we all take for granted.

After reading the account about her little girl learning the ABC’s of first aid in school, I knew without any hesitation that I could now pray in total earnest for the people of Israel. I don’t pray for them in an attempt to seek God’s blessings, as He promised. I pray because He said we should. And whenever I read about the people who live there, I know it’s simply the right thing to do. I am always amazed that even though they are a tiny country whom the entire world has turned against; they don’t live in fear. God promised them that He would give them their land back; He did. They live in the assurance that God will protect them. Maybe we could take some lessons from them.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Then stand and watch God’s mighty hand protect them; and know that with total assurance that the same God who watches over them is the same God who watches over you.

Have a great day & may the Lord bless you.

Just Hang On

2010-04-10T17:57:00.002-04:00

I’m going to break away from my original plan for today. I will get back on topic soon. But for some reason this has become more urgent. My cousin made a couple of comments yesterday morning that really began to work in my spirit. She talked about a young woman who she had known in the past. The young woman overdosed on pills in an attempt to commit suicide. The doctors tried to save her, but inevitably they and the family could do little more than stand by and watch this girl cry “I don’t want to die” while her organs began to shut down one by one as the pills overloaded her system. I gather that the process wasn’t the painless ‘quick fix’ that the girl had intended.

Why suicide?

I know that this is a touchy subject for many. And maybe I should apologize in advance. But I really feel that this is important. The consensus among many is that suicide is an act of complete selfishness. I guess that the reasons vary. To a degree, selfishness plays into most cases. I’m not taking the haughty selfishness necessarily, but an inability to see past ‘self’. ‘My worries’, ‘My shame’, ‘My confusion’, ‘My pain’. I suspect that the pain in a person’s spirit can get so bad that even death seems to be a welcome alternative.

I’ve been working this over & over. I’ve tried to write wonderful examples, with eloquent words to better portray my thoughts. But the words simply didn’t work. Earlier today I was praying about it and God told me that I didn’t need those fancy words … just keep it simple and say it straight. So, here’s the not-so-nutshell version:

There are very few people alive today that at one point in their lives didn’t contemplate, even for a split second, the ending of their life. For some, it was the shame of a misdeed or misspoken word; for others it may have been worries about a situation that looked too overwhelming and scary. Drugs and alcohol tend to fuddle the brain and add to an already confused mind. Pain is probably the biggest contributor to attempted suicide, or at least the fear of pain – both physical and/or emotional. You often hear of someone who’s been diagnosed with a terminal or chronic illness taking their life because they fear the painful effects of the disease. I’m going to be real honest here, when my illness first started about nine years ago and the pain was unbearable … I asked God more than once to take me home. I wouldn’t have considered suicide, but I was sure hoping He would have decided that my work was done and it was time for me to go home. I didn’t want to think about a long life if it was going to be consumed with that level of pain. For a few years, doctors discounted me, the pain increased, and I found that the only way to endure it was to put my focus on something other than myself. The long, sleepless & painful nights soon evolved around the internet. I discovered blogs. Northern Farmer & KS Milkmaid kept me company and encouraged me with their love for God and for the farm life He had given them. My love for my (truck driver) husband and compassion for the men & women on the road led me to develop Sojourner2heaven. Eventually God led me to a doctor that found a medication for my nerve damage and now the pain is bearable. God has shown me how to function and be used by Him in spite of my circumstances. Am I an isolated case? Not hardly. Through the ages, men and women have survived much greater problems than mine, and served God in tremendous ways. The real key is to tear your thoughts off your problems and put all your energy into focusing on God. I can tell you from experience … it’s really hard at first. “My worries, My shame, My fear, and My pain” seem so insurmountable. But, God is always right there to embrace you. God is always right there to hear your cries and wipe your tears. God is always right there to walk through the trials with you. He said that He will never leave you or forsake you. I can tell you first hand just how true that really is!

I want to give you a better example than me. Peter. Peter walked the dusty roads with Jesus. He slept under the same stars. He shared the same meals. Not only was Jesus his teacher, but He was also Peter’s best friend. Peter was there when the soldiers went to the garden to arrest Jesus. Peter was there when Jesus was tried & falsely convicted. Peter was there when Jesus was beaten. And as Jesus foretold, Peter denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed. I’ve often thought about how Peter must have felt.

Worried? His Lord and his friend was beaten just short of the point of death and then nailed to a cross. If that wasn’t enough, Peter and the others were known as Jesus’ disciples. Would they be searched for next?

Shame? The Bible states that Peter was ashamed of himself. But I suspect it was a shame deeper than any we could imagine. I’m sure that satan’s minions did a real number on Peter’s mind. How could he possibly go back home and tell the neighbors that the man he had been telling everyone was the Messiah is now dying on a cross among common criminals?

Fear? What about the ‘tomorrow” that Jesus had promised? Peter staked his entire life on that promise. How could he possibly go back to just being a fisherman after walking in the footsteps of Jesus for the past three years?

Pain? The pain of heartbreak can be so bad that it actually results in physical pain. In reading the Scriptures, I often try to put myself in Peter’s place. How would I have felt in his circumstance? I imagine the pain of his broken heart was enough to make him double over with gut-wrenching pain. The uncontrollable sobs that he surely endured must have left him aching and weak. I don’t doubt for a minute that there was tremendous pain in watching the friend that he called ‘Master’ suffer and die.

The fact is, Peter did hang on. When Jesus was resurrected, Peter recommitted himself to the Lord and went on with rock-like faith, which is the foundation of our belief in Christ. (Matthew 16:17-18)

This brings to mind another man that walked with Jesus, as Peter did. He too betrayed Christ and felt the same “Worry, Shame, Fear, and Pain” that Peter felt. The difference being that Judas gave in to these emotions. Judas wouldn’t allow himself to hang on. Judas had only to ask for forgiveness and be restored in fellowship with Christ. Some say that maybe Judas was an impostor from the very beginning and didn’t truly believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Maybe so. But if that were the case, why did Judas stay with Jesus during His ministry? And why did Judas become so remorseful that he tried to return the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests & elders, (as described in Matthew 27:3-5), stating “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood”? Judas just needed to hang on a little bit longer. I suspect that many people today are in the ‘Judas condition’. They knew, or knew of, Jesus but wouldn’t submit to Him as Lord. They just can’t seem to get ‘me’ pushed out of the way long enough to get their eyes on Jesus.

Folks, I didn’t intend for this to get so long. But, like I said earlier, God has really put this on my heart and for some reason it’s very important. If all you hear today is “THERE IS HOPE IN JESUS!” Then you’ve heard all there is. When it all seems to be too much, THERE IS HOPE IN JESUS! When you can’t see a reason to live, THERE IS HOPE IN JESUS! When tomorrow looks like a black tunnel with no light in sight, hang on THERE IS HOPE IN JESUS! When you feel that you are too tired and too weak to go on, THERE IS STRENGTH AND HOPE IN JESUS. Talk to Him. Better still, cry out to Him! Don’t stop calling until He answers you! He will. I know this first hand. God knew you before you were ever born. He created you special and has a purpose for your life. It’s a big purpose. It has to be … the miracle of childbirth isn’t a small feat. You are the result of that miracle. Seek Him. Submit your life to Him. Then allow Him to lead you. Jesus has died and risen to give you eternal life with Him. He has a beautiful future waiting for you. Just hang on.

My prayer is that this reaches the one God has intended it for. Know that you are loved and that I am praying for you. May the Lord bless you and keep you in His care.

In These Final Hours

2010-04-05T08:02:00.000-04:00

I want to share an article that Honey found over the weekend. After discussing it, we contacted the author and received permission to post it here and on Sojourner2heaven. We encourage you to read & ponder this. Feel free to print, forward, or email this as you wish, the author asked only that the words remain unchanged.

In These Final Hours
Matthew 25:1-5

1 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. As I was praying for us all this morning, the Parable Of The Ten Virgins came to mind; half of them were prepared, half were not, but all of them were asleep. Every time I read those words over the years, I wondered how that applied. Serious Christians make genuine efforts to be paying attention, and that shows. For all that, Scripture cannot be broken, so there is something there that isn't obvious. In that way, the Parable Of The Ten Virgins is rather like a plant of some kind coming up, but the gardener won't know exactly what it will be until it gets big enough to recognize...

The people of Rapture Ready, and this does fully include myself, agree that the Rapture will be the definitive announcement of the beginning of the Tribulation. Yet we are seeing the world around us sliding into a sink of depravity, confusion and a shocking failure of leadership that we didn't honestly think could happen, especially in America. We just didn't think that lawlessness could become as widespread as we are actually seeing it unfold before our very eyes! From the climate to the crime rate to our political and church leadership, we are absolutely stunned at how fast things have gotten so weird. We honestly thought we had been building a better society than we see around us. How could we all have possibly been so mistaken??? I think, right about now, we are all at least somewhat numb with shock, wondering how so much effort to build this nation under God seems to have become anything but...

If we look carefully at the whole Parable Of The Ten Virgins, the Lord is clearly not disappointed that any of them were asleep, so the five wise virgins with oil in their lamps didn't disappoint Him. So the Christians who have been taking the Bible, prayer and serving the Lord seriously haven't failed. The fact that the five wise virgins were called wise in the first place illustrates that this group had been doing their job. So we are not failing, even though that might not be how it looks this morning... Yet some very strange teaching has been creeping into the church at large, and leaders who it seems should have known better, seem instead to be falling for some very strange deceptions. How and why is this happening?

Christians, by nature, don't go poking their noses into pagan practices, therefore Christians, by nature wouldn't know a whole lot about those things. No sane person, let alone a Christian person, would go into the bars and private clubs my homosexual late best friend blundered into when he "came out". So Christians, by default, had no idea what could possibly go wrong if a lesbian got elected Mayor of Houston for example. Christians had no idea how much could possibly go wrong when, in an effort to love our enemies as instructed in Scripture, decided to try tolerating homosexual behavior and other inadvisable lifestyle practices, we tried to love others... Many, many well-meaning people tried to give peace a real chance by permitting others around us to live in peace, rather than batter them with condemnation as was once done in the first half of the 20th century. It seemed like a good idea to some people back in the 1970's and 1980's when enough of the real depravity was still restrained, and nobody guessed what the depraved were actually capable of. But the Lord knew... He knew the whole time... I think He had to let all this happen, so that when the time comes, no one will be able to get in His Face and accuse Him of being unjust in judgment. What we are seeing in these bizarre new age and gay pride agendas, and in the Muslim militantism as well is the fulfillment of Romans 1:25-27 while the Holy Spirit is not only still active on Earth, but being poured out as never before, exactly as God promised He would.

So, dear brothers and sisters, and be of strong heart and bold faith. Yes, we were all sleeping, and we were all taken by surprise by the evil that had been hidden until these last hours. That’s OK, we can hear the Bride Groom coming with His friends singing and playing music as He approaches to claim what is His. There is still time to trim our lamps and make sure we are ready. Things are not as out of control as they look, and the Lord God will highly exalt His Son Jesus Christ through the great harvest of all who are truly His! He Will Triumph, His Holy Light will Blaze in these darkest of hours...

Behold, He is coming and will not tarry...

Amen... Come Lord even so...

May the Lord bless you as you seek to serve Him.

It's All About Jesus

2010-04-03T13:05:00.002-04:00

It’s a beautiful day here at the cabin. As I stood outside listening to the songbirds and anticipate the warm day ahead, my spirit is overjoyed. This Scripture came to mind,

“And Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.” Hebrews 1:10

God loves us so very much! Just as He sustains life around us, He does and will sustain us. That is His promise to us. We need only to draw close to Him and trust Him for all things. Praise God in all circumstances, for He is Jehoviah-jireh. The Lord our provider.

I’ve spent a lot of time in thought and prayer these past few days. It’s like the floodgates have opened, and there are so many things coming to mind that I want to share. I wish I could write as fast as the thoughts come.

I recently read about a teaching from back in the 90’s by Zane Hodges. He was a Bible scholar who actually taught a great many of the pastors who are now leading churches. Unfortunately these churches are full of baby Christians who don’t have the ability to discern the truth from counterfeit.

“The Crossless Gospel”. Have you ever heard of it? In the words of my dear Honey, the term ‘Crossless Gospel’ is a Biblical oxymoron. I looked into Zane Hodges and his teachings. Basically, he has taught scores of Christian leaders that folks can bypass the cross and still get to heaven. According to him, we merely have to acknowledge God and His love. Isn’t that something? If this teaching were true, so much of the events recorded in the New Testament would have been unnecessary … the life & death of John the Baptist, the virgin birth of Jesus, the years Jesus spent traveling the hot dusty lands teaching the people, the horrendous torture & humiliation He endured at the hands of the Roman soldiers, and the cruel death that He experienced on the cross at Golgotha. It would also mean that the resurrection was a waste of time as well.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; - 1 Timothy 4:1-2

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” – 2 Peter 2:1

I don’t know how this affects you, but it made me fighting mad! How dare this man make light of the sacrifice Jesus made! How dare he minimize the life, death, and resurrection of my Lord! But before I could start a letter writing campaign to this false prophet, I found that Zane Hodges passed away a couple of years ago. He is forever locked into whatever belief he held the very minute that he passed from this life to the next. Whether or not he came to the clear understanding that he was wrong and confessed his sins before he breathed his final breath is something only he and God know at this point. The Scriptures talk about false teachings and the consequences to those who lead His sheep astray. One warning being,

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the Words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18-19

After I researched Zane Hodges and saw that he was no longer alive to teach his false beliefs, I thought “Ok, it’s done. Few people have even heard of this teaching. What’s the big deal?” and then it occurred to me … the title “The Crossless Gospel” may have faded to the annuls of history, but the teaching is still alive & well. It is still being taught from pulpits great & small all around the world. These wolves in sheep’s clothing may have dropped the title but they have latched on to one sentence of the Scriptures and developed an entire theology on it, “God is love”. Have you heard it? God is love, so therefore all roads lead to Him. God is love, so how can He possibly send anyone to hell as long as they are behaving themselves, taking care of people that are less fortunate, and being nice to other people? God is love, so we can put down our swords & shields, be a good example to the mean people, they will also put down their swords & shields and we will all live peacefully together in a state of nirvana. Some of these ‘religions’ acknowledge Jesus. Ok, so history says that He lived & died. He may or may not have rose from the grave. That was awful nice of Him, but unnecessary. Because God is love. We obviously didn’t need the sacrifice. They believe in God and to them, that is enough.

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” –James 2:19

Am I exaggerating this? With few exceptions, that is the primary teaching of every church within 30 miles of where we live right now. And if you listen to some of the more famous ‘preachers’ making the headlines recently, you will see that this is their teaching as well. Some have even written books based on this false teaching. You can find them in Christian bookstores all around the world. It’s the ‘socially acceptable gospel”.

“For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” – 2 Peter 2:21

I have been shouting from the rooftops for so long that we have GOT to seek sound spiritual teaching! I’m not a Bible scholar. But I will share with you the most absolute basics…

God Is Love … He loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to be born of a young virgin girl. His Son Jesus lived a sinless life, Jesus taught & ministered to great multitudes. He was wrongly convicted by the courts of the day; He was beaten severely, and nailed to a cross to die the most horrible death imaginable. God is love because He allowed His Son to take our place. He allowed His Son to be the sacrifice for our sins. God is love because, HE RESSURECTED HIS SON JESUS FROM THE GRAVE ON THE 3rd DAY, as prophesied by the Old Testament prophets.

Yes, God is love. He loves us so much, and wants us to come to Him. But the only path that leads to the Father is through the Son. Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven and to our loving Father. Period, point-blank, and end of discussion. The Bible is either real or it isn’t. It’s an all or nothing deal. The Bible states:

“For God so loved the world, (you and me), that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18

Folks, I know I get a little wound up sometimes. But time is so short. If the only thing you do today is grab ahold of these Scriptures, ask Jesus to become your Savior & Lord, and accept God’s loving promise that He will be with you in this life, and you will be with Him forever in the next … then the desert I’ve recently gone through will have been worth every dry & thirsty minute.

As we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, the true Passover, this weekend, I pray that God draws you close and pours out His blessings on you and your families. Come out of the desert. Jesus is waiting to offer you Living Water.

I just glanced at the Bible laying open on my desk. Let me share the absolute first words that I saw ...

“If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”

Jesus was saying to the woman at the well. He went on to say,

“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:10,14

Have a wonderful day and May the Lord bless you.

Choices

2010-03-29T20:06:00.000-04:00

God knows all … the beginning to the end. When He created man, He knew that man was going to fall. He knew that man would need a Savior. He knew how it was all going to end – before He scooped up that first handful of dust. When God created you, He knew you. He knew your likes & dislikes long before you did. He knew the choices you would make in your life and He knew how far you would have to sink in sin before you would reach out to Him.

He could have pre-programmed us like little toy robots. But He didn’t. He created us with love and allowed us free will. We were given the ability to choose. Our most important choice is whether to love Him or not.

Over the course of the past few weeks, I’ve been in a real spiritual desert. Most of us get to that point in our relationship with God where we feel dried up and thirsting. We know that the Living Water comes from God’s Word, and yet we either don’t seek Him or as in my case, when I would attempt to read the Scriptures, their meaning eluded me. Has this ever happened to you? I would read & read, and if I didn’t know any better, I would have thought my Scofield Study Bible was written in the original Greek. I suspect that my biggest problem was that I was going to God with my head so full of ‘stuff’ that I don’t think I could have heard Him if He were standing right beside me shouting. After awhile, I couldn’t tell if what I thought I heard was from Him or from my own cluttered mind. The frustration would get so bad that I would start to think, ‘what good will it do to read the Bible today, I’ll be just as confused when I’m done as I am right now?’ Let me tell you, those little demons can talk awful loud sometimes. If we’re not careful, we can allow them to drown out God’s still small voice.

It occurred to me really early in this desert that I have a choice. I can choose to just go about life and reassure myself with ‘the Bible is too difficult. I just can’t understand it.’ And before long, it would sit on the shelf gathering dust. The crossroads I encountered sounds so small and uneventful. But in a spiritual desert, it can make all the difference between spiritual life & death. I had a choice to make. Every day I had to choose whether to seek God or not. Did I choose to love Him enough to seek Him? Eventually, the fog began to clear and His precious Words started to sink in like much needed water on a dry & thirsty land.

God knows my weaknesses. He knows when I wander astray. He patiently calls me to come back to Him and waits for me. He wants to embrace me with His love and pour out His blessings on me. He loves you too. He has so much to give you, but He leaves the choice up to you. Are you seeking Him? Do you thirst after that Living Water? Find a quiet place and get alone with God. Tell Him your difficulties and frustrations. Ask Him to help you. Ask Him to make Himself real to you through His Word. Then get quiet and wait on Him.

I love my family. Honey and I make time each day to sit & talk about the things that are important to us. Mama and I talk about once a week, and I can hardly wait for the calls. I anxiously wait to hear what’s going on back at home, and I keep a mental file of all the funny things that have occurred during the past week so I can share them with her. The same with my kids. They check in about once a week, and I enjoy hearing about their lives so much. If you love someone, you want to spend time with him or her.

God knew us before the world was ever created, and loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to earth to be the Sacrifice for our sins. That was the choice that He made. Do you love God? Does your Bible reflect that love? It’s His love letter to you. Do you spend time talking with Him each day? Praying is really simple. Just start talking to Him, and then spend time listening as you read His Word.

“For God so loved the world, (you & me), that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever, (you & me), believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (parenthesis, mine)

Love is a choice. He made the choice to love you. Do you feel Him in your heart, calling you to come closer? If you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, now is the time. If you have already accepted Christ, maybe God is calling you to draw closer to Him. He wants to pour His love out on you. Choose to seek Him. Learn what it feels like to say, “My cup runneth over.”

Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

2010-03-25T20:51:00.001-04:00

What a wonderful day here at the cabin! The temps were up in the 50’s for the most part. The snow is almost all gone from the yard, and melting at a nice pace. And the sun was shinning to beat the band! It doesn’t get much better than that for a New England March.
We’ve been as busy as can be lately. Today we were in spring cleaning mode full force. Honey took a load of stuff to the dump while I stayed busy at the cabin. As I looked out the windows, the sun was entirely too inviting, so whenever I would stop for a break, I would take my little dulcimer out onto the porch and did my version of “pickin’ & grinning”. As I played my simple tunes, I would look up the mountain and around the meadow and be in awe at the mighty hand of God. He created all this by merely speaking Words. The birds were out in force and I think how the most sophisticated instruments designed by the best craftsmen can’t come close in perfection to the simple songbird. Isn’t God’s love for us amazing?! He created all this to share with us.

I've been studying the Scriptures. I feel that God has got some things for me to share, just not yet. But until then ...

Have a great night and may the Lord bless you.

A Time To Pray

2010-03-19T21:28:00.000-04:00

It’s been an absolutely marvelous day here at the cabin. The temperature got up to about 60 degrees today. The sun was shining and as I stood outside, I could literally hear the snow melting. We still have considerable snow in the yard, but as the piles decrease, there are tiny patches of green springing up to start the new season. Granted, the green belongs to weeds … but it’s green none the less. In the seasonal “rock, paper, scissors game” – green weeds beat white snow every time.

To even the most ill informed, the talk around the country is buzzing like a beehive. The potential action in congress tomorrow has sent tidal waves of anger and fear throughout the communities in America like a tsunami. I know that I said a year ago that I was going to forgo talking of politics and such. And actually, my focus right now isn’t necessarily on politics. It’s on people. I have been a life-long student of people. I watch & listen to how folks act and interact. Over the past year I have watched and listened to rumors, threats, and name-calling among the various people groups. As the heat would turn up in Washington DC, the squabbling would get worse. But when there would be a lull in the congressional actions, the people would continue to escalate in their arguments.

Folks, from everything I have seen and heard over the past year; I have determined that beyond a doubt – the people that we have elected as servants of “the people” (on both sides of the isle) have divided our country more than it has ever been. This time the lines aren’t drawn along a map with some folks wearing blue & others wearing gray. This time it is neighbor against neighbor, parent against child, friend against friend.

Back when I was in high school, I was assigned a research project in my Senior Civics class. I was to research and report on mob mentality. At the time there was no internet, merely stacks of books, magazines, and other written accounts by psychologist & sociologist about how a mob forms, grows, and eventually depletes itself. Once a mob starts, it takes on a life of it’s own. It is pure evil at the very core. Fed by anger & frustration, it’s destructive actions and abilities are irrational and irresponsible. As I look around and listen to the people of this great country … we now have all the makings of the mob mentality. Can we stop it? I don’t believe that it can be stopped in our own power. If ever this country needs prayer, it's now. So whether you live in the U.S. or in another country, please let’s join together and seek the Lord’s intervention before someone gets hurt.

On a similar note, Honey posted an article on Sojourner today. He has been researching the information for several days now, and I am really proud of his efforts. When you have a minute, stop by and take a look.

Have a good night, and may the Lord bless and keep you in the days to come.

Being a Brat

2010-03-15T20:33:00.001-04:00

The weather here at the cabin has been wonderful lately. We’ve had rain off and on for several days now and the temperatures are staying above freezing and the snow is melting all around us! That doesn’t mean we won’t have any more snow. But now that the ground is thawing, the snow will come and go much more quickly from here on out. Honey even noticed today that the maple tree by the deck is trying to bud out. Returning geese … budding trees … melting snow … One would think that it just keeps getting better.

Why is it that when it looks like everything should be coming up roses, you feel nothing but the thorns? Circumstances both individually and collectively have been such that our patience levels are just about to the snapping point. Have you ever noticed that when you are frustrated and/or irritated with something, you tend to take it out on everyone?

I was sitting here in the quiet of my workroom playing a song that tends to draw me closer to God. As I played, I was mentally going through my day and praying for God’s forgiveness in preparation to draw in closer to Him and spend some time with the Lord on a more intimate level. As I prayed, the thought came to me – What if God was as tolerant of me as I have been with others lately? That’s a humbling thought to say the least. As a matter of fact, that thought really snapped me back into sanity. For all the times that I have gotten cross, bit my tongue to the point of sores, and spoken through clenched teeth at others … I wonder how often I must grieve the Lord by my selfish behavior and then turn right around and ask Him to be patient with me. It’s funny how all that frustration that had built up in me has completely subsided at that thought. I was embarrassed to say the least.

It is so easy to forget that God wants us to come to Him with all the ‘issues’ that go on in our lives. I’ve found that taking some time each day to spend one-on-one time with the Lord does wonders for my outlook and my ‘temper-ment’. I still tend to lean heavy on the selfish side, but He reminds me frequently that I am to try to be more like Him in my actions AND my thinking. I am so thankful that when we get to Glory, these ‘self’ problems will no longer be an issue. Not only will I have a glorified body, but a glorified spirit as well. Praise God! I continually thank Him for being so patient & forgiving with this bratty little child of His.

Have a great night & may the Lord bless you.

Unsettled Spirit

2010-03-07T09:52:00.002-05:00

My spirit is so unsettled, and I don’t know why. It has been this way for several days now. I walk outside and look up the mountain as if I’m searching for something. But what could that be? The mountain is still covered with snow. The world around me is still asleep. Soon it will wake up and thrive in the warmth of the sunshine. But for now, it sleeps on.

God, I know you’re there. I feel your presence and see the evidence of your hands among the life around me. Despite man’s inhumanity, I feel the hope that you have instilled inside me. There is hope for the coming springtime, and there is hope for tomorrow. But for now, I seek you as a lost child searches for her parent. I turn to the Scriptures for answers, and I find:

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, the are more than can be numbered…

… I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.
Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.
But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make not tarrying, O my God. (Psalm 40)

Have you ever had this feeling? The unsettled feelings – where you’re not sure if it’s foreboding, or simply a sense that you are lacking something in your life. What do you do? I pace. Inside … outside, I’m back and forth. I search the Scriptures in hopes that God will give me the answers to the unstated question in my spirit. In reading the 40th Chapter of Psalm I find that King David also felt as I do right now. The groaning of my spirit for peace is not new and unique to just me. Others have, and still do, experience what I am feeling right now. The “evil ones” that he talks about aren’t always people. How many times have we been attacked by satan’s minions with hateful thoughts, unclean desires, and selfish temptations? When we choose to follow the Lord and do His will, the demons of hell hate us and go on the attack.

What’s the solution? I’ve found that when I get these feelings of unrest and don’t know what to do, it’s time to draw into God. As soon as I can, I find a quiet place, pray, and earnestly seek Him until I find answers and peace. For me, the Lord requires me to take it a step further. I am told to share what I have found with others. Because someone else is going through the very thing I have experienced. If you are experiencing this, God says to come to Him. Draw in close and seek Him. He has comfort, guidance, and peace that He is waiting to give you.

Have a wonderful Lord’s day and may the Lord bless you!

Blacked Out (again)

2010-02-28T17:32:00.002-05:00

Well we survived another one. This latest blackout lasted about 48 hours. If we were set up to be self-sustaining, it wouldn’t have been a problem. Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten to that point yet. But we were able to maintain better than a lot of others in our area, due to a wood stove in the main part of the house, a pellet stove downstairs, and a generator that is large enough to supply most of our daily living needs.

Blackouts are regular occurrences here in the meadow. It’s frustrating that just over the hill, toward town, the folks are served by a different electric company, and rarely loose power. Isn’t it funny how those things work. Winter is always a bad time for a blackout here. We were so thankful that the worst of the winter’s cold has already come and gone. The temperatures stayed in the low 30’s throughout the ordeal. This made our heating efforts slightly less stressful. But it was a good reminder for us to keep working toward becoming more self-sufficient. In all honesty, the experience wasn’t all bad. It was kind of nice to sit in the living room, listening to the crackle of the wood stove, playing old-timey music on the dulcimer. There is something very relaxing about it. We, as a society, have gotten so used to the modern conveniences that we forget how to just sit quietly. I reminded myself many times during the outage that it hasn’t been too many years ago when electricity in the home simply wasn’t an option. People lived without it a lot longer than we’ve lived with it.

Isn’t it easy to be lulled into a false sense of security? I look around at the different people I know, and think about how a long-term power outage may affect them. Some are choosing the life of self-sufficiency as farmers & gardeners, and quite a few still live the old way by maintaining food & essentials for basic survival. But many live day-to-day, paycheck-to-paycheck, not giving a thought about what would happen if their lives were to be interrupted. I think it’s odd that we put so much focus on insuring our autos from disaster, our families from illness, and our homes from the ills of nature and/or society, but we don’t stop and think that true insurance is more than writing a monthly check with the promise that a stranger will ‘come to the rescue’ when an emergency happens. I’m not even remotely recommending that people start hoarding food and other items, I simply think we need to consider alternative ways to provide for our families needs before a disaster happens. Conspiracy theory? No. All it takes is a flip of the wrong switch, a well placed bolt of lightning, an unannounced earthquake, or even a little too much snow, and life as we’ve come accustomed would stop.

Solomon tells us in Proverbs to look to the ant. As I see it, God wrote the laws of nature. The animals, insects, etc. that survive are equipped for whatever happens. God wrote those same instincts into us. We’ve just stopped listening to Him, and to the instincts that He gave us. We need to seek God’s guidance, as we look around us to evaluate “what if” scenarios. How can we better be prepared for a power outage, a flood, an earthquake, etc.? Can we become mobile in a short amount of time if it were to be unsafe to stay in our homes? Do we have the necessary equipment, items, and food to get through an extended power outage - not just at our homes but in the community as well?

We can’t live in worry and dread, but we can better equip ourselves to be more prepared for situations that may occur. The key is to seek God’s guidance. In learning to hear His still small voice, we can get through any storm. What I haven’t told anyone is that for two days before the snowstorm hit, this nagging thought about loosing power kept bothering me. But I had gotten so caught up in other things; I refused to pay attention to it. Fortunately, we made it through not much worse for wear; but I feel some of the hardships could have been avoided if I would have just sought God when the thoughts first started.

As for today, it’s 40 degrees and the smell of spring is in the air. Hopefully it will come early this year!

Have a wonderful day & may the Lord bless you!

Feb. Snowstorm pt 2

2010-02-27T21:07:00.003-05:00

Here are a few action shots! Honey had an awful time with that old snowblower! On more than one occasion there were mutterings of 'target practice' ... but I managed to snap a few pictures before the wrestling match was over. Keep in mind that Honey is 6'6" ... and his pickup is a one-ton. This is important to remember when you look at the picture of him snowblowing aroung the pickup at the foot of the drive.

To some, this weather is as common as winter. But quite a few folks visit from parts of the world that don't experience life like this; plus in my own sentimental way, this helps me remember that in all the challenges and adventures we go through ... God does provide ... and we can always find something to laugh about.

May the Lord bless you and keep you warm.

Feb. Snowstorm pt 1

2010-02-27T21:02:00.000-05:00

We are back from the dark ages. And the down time has left me with a lot of thoughts to share. But unfortunately, after writing for hours, the post isn't done, but I am. I'll try to get it all together by the end of the weekend. Until then, I want to share some of the pictures we took during this last storm. The last total we had was about 16 inches during the origional storm with another 4-5 yesterday. This wasn't anywhere close to being a major storm here, but it was eventful to say the least.

I often talk about the mountain behind the house. A couple of these are shooting toward the mountain. The snow is very deceptive and doesn't show just how steep the ground truly is. The stairs at my back door are also buried in snow and show just how tricky it would be to come & go that way.

I have always maintained that snow is the prettiest in pictures and on postcards. This snow was probably the prettiest one I have seen since I've been here. Maybe, just maybe, God has been working on my ungrateful spirit and is showing me that there is beauty in all things created by Him.

War Stories

2010-02-21T12:07:00.002-05:00

The other night our youngest daughter and her boyfriend came for supper. Pot roast and a Boston Cream Pie that he had made from scratch … good food, lots of laughter, and endless stories. He’s a quiet young man, and we took advantage of his willingness to listen to flood him with countless tales of adventures and misdeeds from our collective pasts. Bless his heart, he probably learned more about us than he ever cared to know. But we’re like that when we all get together. With God’s help, we made it through another week. We were together. And that was cause to celebrate.

Later as everyone settled down to watch a movie, I started thinking about the kind of impression we must be making on this young man. Every time he sees us together we are laughing and acting a bit crazy. Our laughter over the past must have appeared to him like we go through life not taking anything seriously. Do you ever wonder how the world views you? I don’t generally let other’s opinions alter me too much, but before they left I felt a need to clarify some things for him.

With each story there was an event or "adventure” that was more often than not filled with struggles, enormous stress, and plenty of tears. Separately, and together, we’ve fought battles real and imagined, and with God’s help we didn’t just survive the battles, but we came away stronger and maybe a tad bit wiser. As is the custom of soldiers throughout the ages, we have our battle scars and war stories. We share these stories among ourselves as a reminder that God’s grace saw us through and His guidance can be trusted to lead us on. Many people choose to bury their pasts behind walls of mundane normalcy. I call it monotone living. They choose to smooth over or forget the heartbreaks and tragedies as well as make light of the glorious highs that come with victory. When asked to share examples of what Jesus has done for them, many respond with only a monotone “He saved me from hell”. Praise God! That’s a great START! We serve a mighty King. In doing so, this makes us soldiers of Christ. There’s not a one of us who doesn’t fight battles on a regular basis. Folks, there is victory in Jesus! Celebrate His blessings frequently and share your war stories freely. We can learn a lesson from the warriors throughout the ages … in the sharing, we are reminded of not only our purpose here but of the awesomeness of our King. And in the sharing, we are solidifying ourselves together as brothers & sisters in the Lord. There is strength in numbers … the Bible says so “Where two or more are gathered…”

In my thinking, trying to be a Christian without the fellowship of other Saints is a lot like playing in the Superbowl and you’re facing off against seasoned professionals all by yourself. Satan and his demons have been around awhile. They’ve had plenty of experience smacking Christians around. We need the Lord and we need each other to win victory. Then we need to celebrate & tell others just how awesome it is to be a child of God!

Have a great Lord’s day and may the Lord bless you!

Questions Answered

2010-02-08T17:27:00.002-05:00

These past few weeks have been kind of quiet here at the cabin. Honey has spent his time learning what he can about pellet stoves and trying to get this new beast to produce the maximum amount of heat on the least amount of pellets. It’s been a real learning experience for both of us. He has stated more than once that he has learned more about this particular stove than the guy who built it. Just when he was making headway, his boss called him to come back to work. There’s a local project that is in dire need of material and since we haven’t been getting snow and the roads haven’t been posted yet, they are calling all the trucks back in on a day to day basis. I miss having him home, but we are thankful for the work.

A few weeks back I mentioned that our winter trip had been canceled and we didn’t understand just why God didn’t open that door for us after we worked so hard toward the goal for so long. I’m starting to see a small fraction of situations and circumstances that would have made the trip disastrous if we had gone. It makes it easier to trust God through the next trial when we are able to look back and see how He has guided and protected us in the past. It’s still awful difficult to accept His way when it doesn’t line up with what we think should happen. But, I’m learning to walk by faith one baby step at a time.

For days on end, I spend too much time practicing with the dulcimer. Let me tell you, this is just plain FUN! At night, Honey will read the news on the internet and I’ll sit and strum the old Gospel hymns that I’m learning. For those brief moments in time, all is right with the world. The first song that I actually committed to memory is the old hymn “Farther Along”. As I was learning it, I realized that the song actually answered so many of the questions that I had been asking God. I want to share the words of this tune with you. Read closely and see if God doesn’t answer the “Why” question for you too.

1. Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder,
Why it should be thus all the day long.
While there are others living about us,
Never molested, though in the wrong.

CHORUS (Same tune as verse)

Father along we’ll all know about it;
Father along we’ll understand why.
Cheer up my brothers, live in the sunshine,
We’ll understand it all by and by.

2. When death has come and taken our loved ones,
Leaving our homes so lone and so drear;
Then do we wonder why others prosper,
Living as sinners year after year.

CHORUS

3. Often I wonder why I must journey
Over a road so rugged and steep;
While there are others living in comfort,
While with the lost I labor and weep.

CHORUS

4. “Faithful till death,” saith our loving Master,
Only a while to labor and wait;
All of our toils will soon be forgotten
When we sweep thru the beautiful gate.

CHORUS

5. Soon with the Lord, our wonderful Savior,
We’ll be at home beyond the blue sky;
There we shall meet the dear ones awaiting,
We’ll understand it all by and by.

CHORUS

I just heard Honey drive up. I guess it’s time to start supper. Have a good night, and May the Lord bless you.

A Partridge In An Apple Tree

2010-01-20T18:23:00.001-05:00

The snow has stopped and now the wind is beginning to blow. We’ve been enjoying several days of low 30 degree temperatures. I’ve peeked my nose out a few times and can honestly say that after almost 10 years, I’m learning to appreciate the beauty of snow, at lest when it’s still fresh and white. We discovered a few days ago that a pair of partridges have taken up residence here and seem partial to the little apple tree in the front yard. The male is awful skittish when we get to moving around outside; but the female will not give up here treats so readily. She’s smart enough to figure that we can’t reach her, so she greedily continues on with her meal. While Honey was shoveling the deck, he was able to get a picture of her. This picture doesn’t show just how big she is. The branches she is walking around on aren’t much more that twigs. As she happily eats her lunch and watches the cars go by, I get such a sense of peace watching her. The Scriptures say that God knows every sparrow that falls. And although she’s not a sparrow, God watches over her too. If He takes such care to guard over and provide for birds such as her, then I know He is watching over us as we work to get through another winter.

Winters are hard here, at least to this old Southern girl. I don’t get out much during the winter months. My balance isn’t what it used to be and the snow & ice play havoc with my cane. But I’m learning how to use the time to catch up on overlooked indoor chores and stretch myself to learn something new. I mentioned before how I am learning to play the dulcimer. Let me tell you, I am having a ball! Nothing beats the wintertime blues like old time music. Just in the past two weeks, I’m learning the cords to songs such as: “Down In The Valley”, “Kum Ba Ya” and “When The Saints Go Marching In” and I’m learning to pick out the melodies to “Shall We Gather At The River, “Fairest, Lord Jesus”, and “Rock Of Ages”. This truly is the instrument for the musically challenged, especially if you like the old folksy sound. I leave the dulcimer and the music laid out on the dinning room table and mess with it every time I get a few minutes. It’s kind of fun to be practicing a tune and have Honey look up from his computer and name the song. It makes me feel like I’m actually making progress. Bless his heart, I’m sure he will be hearing “Boil That Cabbage Down” in his sleep for months to come.

Spring is still a little ways off, so I challenge you to pick a project, a book you’ve been meaning to read, or a dream to work toward in the months to come. I’m finding out that a little bit, a few minutes here and there, can make a big difference in how much I accomplish toward the goal. I don’t expect to get any phone calls to play the Grand Ol’ Opry any time soon, but there’s nothing like playing God’s music to draw me closer to Him. One day, I hope to get good enough to share that music with others and encourage them to draw closer to the Lord too. The Lord truly does provide … not just for our survival needs, but He also provides for the needs of our heart and spirit as well.

Have a great night, and may the Lord bless you.

Learn & Grow

2010-01-12T19:31:00.001-05:00

The worst of the cold front has finally passed through, and I back to almost human again. During this time of year, I’m up and down like a yo-yo. But it’s all good. God gets me through the rougher days and blesses me with days like yesterday. Honey and I had a great day here at the cabin. There was little reason to get out and about so he spent the day with me as I practiced on my new dulcimer. Someone once commented that the dulcimer is pretty much ‘idiot-proof’. It is. I’m actually learning a few simple melodies and cords. For a long time, I wanted more than anything to be able to play God’s music. To me that was one of the most joyous gifts a person could be given. After a lot of prayer, I’m stepping out in faith that God will help me learn to play music that will point folks to Him. If you have never heard of a dulcimer, it’s a simple little 4-string instrument that was originated in the Appalachian Mountains. It’s used in so many ways today; but primarily for bluegrass, country, Gospel, and Old Mountain Music. Honey plays the guitar some, so he’s been a great teacher and very patient.

I’ve mentioned an old high school teacher who had taught me that we need to continue to learn, even after formal learning has stopped. He was still taking courses when he was well into his 70’s. Mr. Sweeney taught me more with that one concept than any teacher before or since. No man stands still. When we stop growing, we start dying. Every year, I try to pick a new project to learn and to stretch myself. And as I recommit myself to the Lord, I want to learn a new way to reach others for Him. So my 2010 project is to learn to play God’s music. You know, all that we are and all that we have belongs to Him. I have to continually ask myself if I’m using everything for God’s glory. How about you? Is there something that you’ve been itchin’ to learn? Is there an area in your life that could use some stretching? Give it all, including your curiosity, to God and see how He can be glorified through your efforts.

So while we wait out the winter, the cabin will be filled with the smells of wood fires, home cooking, and the sound of mountain music.

Have a great night, and may the Lord bless you!

Salt & Light

2010-01-05T16:38:00.001-05:00

It’s official. The season is over, and Honey is laid off until spring. This comes with its mixed bag of blessings and challenges. But, God will provide. As we were chatting this morning, Honey was getting worked up with a new sermon and he uttered the phrase “salt and light”. For some reason, that stuck in my head and then started rolling around. The following is my take on the whole salt and light thing.

Salt & Light

As Christians we often hear how the Bible tells us that we are suppose to be salt and light to the world. Out of curiosity, I looked up the word ‘light’ in the dictionary. According to the Oxford American Dictionary,

Light - 1.) An agent that stimulates the sense of sight, a kind of radiation.
2.) To set burning, to begin to burn.

There are various forms and uses of light. Most Christians use the light aspect of “salt & light” to talk about shining the light of God on the sins of this world. That’s very important. Sin hides in the dark shadows, a lot like cockroaches. When of the Light of God is presented, sin is exposed and can be dealt with. To enlighten the path toward God means that we are less likely to accidentally slip into the potholes and become bogged down in a sinful life. That’s absolutely necessary, especially in these dark days of humanity. A harsh light can be used to blind the enemy, a spotlight points out a specific area, and light from the sun promotes life & health. Even though Jesus Christ was THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD; we as Christians are told to shine the light. That’s very important.

Salt is a chemical compound of metal & acid. God designed it. Salt is created naturally in the earth and the sea. Humans and animals require certain properties in salt for optimum health. Without going too deep into the chemical makeup, I want to just look at the basics. When put in a wound, salt will sting like there’s no tomorrow, but will aid in healing. When salt is rubbed on the skin, it will feel irritating – but will help flake away the dead skin cells and encourage new growth. Salt is used as a preservative. And in using it as a spice, salt enhances the taste of food. But too much salt in food will raise a person’s blood pressure, creating hypertension.

With all that said, I am a salt sprinkler!

There is talk everywhere about being a light bearer – but what about the salt sprinklers? Everyone wants to hold the light, but no one wants to be responsible for the sting and irritation that is created by the salt sprinkler. The light exposes the hurting wounds, but without the healing quality of salt, you still just have a gapping wound. Everyone wants to show the way, but no one wants to be responsible for the irritation of helping to scrub off the old dead rituals of our lives and society so new growth can occur. And I guess what really grabbed my attention here was the spice aspect of salt. What is food without spices? What’s life without spice? We become so entrenched in our day to day existence that God couldn’t get our attention without a bull horn or a baseball bat. Much of what I say tends to rub some folks the wrong way. What I say may not necessarily be wrong, just not pleasant to hear sometimes. As I fumble my way along the path to heaven, I’m scattering salt with just about every step. Salt from my little salt pan falls on the just and the unjust equally. I also have been known to cause high blood pressure on occasion, (right Honey?).

The light bearers get the praise and kudos from man. They are encouraged to show the way and to light the fire of enthusiasm among the saints. Us poor old salt sprinklers, well … we are tolerated at best sometimes. But that’s OK. I carry my little salt pan with glee. Just remember that when something I say starts to stinging or irritating, the salt gets on me too. Oh by the way, Honey did point out that some salt bearers tend to throw rock salt. That isn’t being a salt sprinkler for God. That’s taking advantage of opportunities to assault others in the name of God.

Folks, God gives us many worthy and wonderful tasks to do here on this earth. Even the most difficult task should be performed with humility, love, and as much joy as we can muster. Times are hard, but life as a Christian shouldn’t be dreary. God didn’t create us and then say “Oh by the way, I’ll give them the ability to laugh, but they should never have to need it”. So, get off the couch, grab your torch, gather your little salt pan, and go spread some of that salt & light to everyone you come in contact with! Just watch out for those carrying flame-throwers and buckets of rock salt. They are pretty easy to spot. Pious oozes out of their pores and their mouths are all puckered up like they’ve been drinking pickle juice.

Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

New Years Resolution

2010-01-04T16:58:00.004-05:00

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? I used to. I was the kind of person that spent weeks deciding and evaluating the pros and cons of each resolution (in other words, could I accomplish it or not), and faithfully narrowed down the list to the most important areas of concern. My life back then needed work, and by golly, I was going to ‘fix’ it.

Fast forward to the here & now. My life still needs work. I’ve spent years pouring through self-help books, listening to all the ‘you can fix it’ gurus, and making list after list of my deficits. Do you know what I learned through all of that? I’m broken and I can’t fix me. But I have learned a thing or two along the way…

I’ve learned that New Year’s resolutions are media created. They are designed to focus a person’s attention of areas of his/her life that are less than desirable. An old media rule of thumb: first, point on a need that creates stress, magnify it, and then sell the solution. If you watch TV at all, you know the pressure society puts on you to be thin, young, and beautiful. Instead of looking at our physical failings, wouldn’t it make more sense to put a little of that focus on our spiritual needs?

If you could go out and buy a solution to any of your problems, how much would you be willing to pay for it? Everything has a cost, nothing comes free. Trouble is, folks are more willing to part with their money than they are willing to give up their time. Have you noticed that folks will devote an enormous amount of time to work themselves silly in a job, only to spend the money on ways to relax or to de-stress? Makes me wonder just what god they are relying on to ‘fix’ their problem.

We can’t ‘fix’ our lives by ourselves. Money can’t ‘fix’ our lives either. When Adam & Eve sinned, mankind became broken. God is the only One who can fix us up and put us back together. Will our lives become carefree and perfect afterwards? No. What we have trouble understanding is that we weren’t put on this earth to have a carefree life. That life comes later when we are in the presence of Him. We are here to grow, learn, and bring glory to God our Creator. He can and will help us along the way. That concept always sounds good, but the inevitable question is: “What do I get out of it?” In light of all eternity, we have a patience level of less than a minute. Three facts that we have to place firmly in our minds: 1) God isn’t a magic genie, 2) rewards come in time, and 3) it's not all about me/you.

Honey and I made a ‘resolution of sorts’ back at the beginning of last year. Come what may, we were going South for the winter (this winter). As it so happened 2009 was a very difficult year for us. We have never worked so hard, or stayed so focused, on a goal as we did last year. Just when we would get to the point where we thought, “OK, it’s going to happen”, something or someone would knock our feet out from under us and we would be back on our faces in front of God. But, despite the aggravation and frustration, that hasn’t necessarily been a bad thing. We have learned much about relying on God to provide, about how to use the setbacks for His glory, and about how to patiently wait on Him. We haven’t perfected this by any stretch of the imagination; it’s a daily struggle. But we are learning. I believe without a doubt that we will be going home to see family & friends before too long. I have no idea when; but it will happen. God has used these setbacks to minister to at least one family and possibly more. (But that’s a story that I’m going to leave for Honey to tell.) We just do our best to use God’s blessings for His glory and learn to wait on Him. God is in control. The setbacks wouldn’t have happened unless He allowed them to. That means there is a reason for the delay. When He clears the path, we can go through … not until. I’m OK with that knowledge. Our circumstance is broken, but God is in control. While I wait on the Lord, I am going to draw closer to Him, push myself to develop the gifts & talents that He gave me, and watch for opportunities. I guess you can say that my resolution for the New Year is to give my brokenness to God and wait on Him.

What's your New Year's resolution? If you and/or your circumstances are broken, try drawing closer to God, do the best you can, then patiently wait on Him. You may be surprised at how He uses your brokenness for His glory.

Have a good night, and may the Lord bless you.

Trust God

2009-12-30T17:04:00.003-05:00

It’s a bitter cold day here at the cabin. Early morning temperatures were right around 4 degrees, depending on who you ask, and the wind chill was well below zero. We woke up to a cold cabin. The furnace had quit during the night. With this being an antique radiator system, everything hinged on getting things up and going again quickly. God bless my dear father-in-law. He gets a call at 4:30 in the morning and leaves his warm bed to go out in this awful cold just to nurse this old monstrosity along once again. He acquired the basic furnace second-hand around 35 years ago when they built the cabin. He then designed the configuration of pipes, valves, and radiators that keeps hot water flowing through this place. I suspect that this old beast has outlived itself by at least 20 years. The idea of living in a rustic cabin high up in the mountains sounds very quaint and romantic. It makes for a good movie of the week; but in reality, it’s a struggle most every day. Our struggles are no better or worse than anyone else’s – just different in ways.

I’ve found that the struggles in life are what strengthen our faith. It’s easy to trust God when things are going good and you are relying on the fruits of your own labor to make it through each day. There was a time in my life when faith was easy. I’d go to work every day, draw my paycheck every couple of weeks, and stretch the dollars the best I could. Faith was easy because I was able to make things happen under my own power. But in looking back, was my faith in God or was it in my own abilities? Granted, God provided the avenue for me to work and helped me maintain our home. But I sure put a lot of stock in my own knowledge and abilities.

Nothing speaks “faith” to me more than farming. A farmer prepares his/her fields with the anticipated hope that God will provide abundantly. The farmer plants the seeds, nurtures the crops, and prepares for the harvest all summer long. Every morning, the farmer looks out across the fields expecting to see even the slightest evidence that his/her faith hasn’t been misplaced. Will it rain? Will it stop raining? Will it be warm enough? Will it be too hot? Every day there’s a wait and see anticipation. Quite literally they rely on God each and every day. In good seasons, that faith is sure easy to maintain. The work is still constant and often backbreaking, but there is evidence that their dreams for the harvest will be fulfilled. But what about during the years of drought? Faith is a little more difficult to maintain when you watch your efforts shriveling under the blazing sun with not a rain cloud in sight. To me, that’s when faith is really put to the test. On the years when the harvest doesn’t quite meet the desired goal, where’s faith then? Does the farmer cry to the heavens that God has failed him? Does she declare that faith was a waste of time and proceed to take matters into her own hands? At that point, true faith is knowing that in spite of the circumstances, God WILL provide. But God’s not a genie. He provides in His own way and in His own time.

I believe that we aren’t the only ones facing trials. Whether they are man-made, self-made, or circumstantial, everyone is wrestling with something in their life. Folks, this is where the rubber meets the road. Do you trust God? Do you truly believe in His perfect will for your life? Or do you believe that your faith has been misplaced? God teaches us through the trials. Just like the farmer, we need to get up each day, do the best we can, and leave the rest to Him. He will provide … in His own way and in His own time. This is the lesson He seems to be teaching me over and over again. The lessons of faith are the most difficult to learn, but absolutely the most awe-inspiring to behold.

God is going to get us through our trials. I have absolutely no doubts. And I don't know all the 'hows' or 'whys' in what He's doing. But I do know that it all boils down to just two words – Trust God.

Have a great night and may the Lord bless you.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T12:25:00.003-05:00

What a wonderful day to be alive! We had Christmas with family last night and as my dear sister prayed over the food, such a sense of peace filled me. This is what it was all about. People who love the Lord, gathered to celebrate together the tremendous gift of Salvation that began so many years ago in a meager little stable. The Scriptures foretold of Christ’s first coming, and it came to pass. They also foretell of His Second Coming … it too will come to pass. What a glorious day that will be!

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus here at Mountain Home, we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas! May the Lord bless you with peace that surpasses all understanding, hope in things not yet seen, joy to overflowing, and love that knows no boundaries.

Merry Christmas!
Ray & Lee Ann

Grammy Justice

2009-12-20T14:23:00.002-05:00

It’s nice to be back in the land of the living. These cold fronts come through and knock me to my knees. In the winter, I watch the weather to get an idea of how to pre-plan meals and chores. But, like everyone knows … you really can’t predict the weather. Some days, I feel a lot like a broken yo-yo. But for right now, I praise God for a clear-headed, productive day.

I got a phone call a few days ago from my eldest son. I should have known that something was up when the first words out of his mouth was, “Mom, are you sitting down?” Well folks, I’m going to be a grandma. At first I was just stunned. (like my mama was when I broke the news to her back so many years ago) News like that brings so many thoughts to mind. The child I gave birth to almost 29 years ago is now going to be a Daddy. He’s going to look down and see the tiny person in his arms that is part of him, yet a completely unique individual. The moment of conception, the Lord spoke this child’s name. He or she at this very moment is being formed in the image of his or her Creator. Pretty heady stuff when you think about it. Despite the circumstances, I’m getting really excited. My future daughter-in-law has a little boy that I’ve heard so much about. I’m looking forward to meeting my future grandson and in a few short months … my new grand baby.

When I think of the future, I can’t help but look to the past. Remember when you were a child and felt that your parents’ rules were so restrictive & unfair. How many times did you utter the words ‘why?’ ‘That’s not fair!’ and ‘you don’t trust me!’. Bring back memories? Did you ever declare that when you have kids, you would be different? For me, it was the words “Because I said so”. I hated that phrase with a passion! I swore that when I have kids, I would never use those words! Years rolled on and I found that in times of total chaos and frustration, “because I said so” are the only words that comes to mind when my children were out of control and insisting on a reason for my rules. This particular son chaffed when he felt that the rules were too restrictive. The mother in me smiles at the thought that finally, he is going to be the ‘bad guy’ – the one that will have to make rules designed to protect the children and maintain peace in the home. He will have to stand firm as his children accuse him of being the ‘meanie’. I guess justice does come to those who wait. I’m just sorry that I didn’t pay closer attention to Mama when she was spoiling my children. As with everything else, I could have learned so much about being the fairy godmother. When my kids were little, Grandma was Santa Clause, the Easter bunny, and the tooth fairy all rolled up into a fun woman who made awesome cookies and let everyone stay up late at night.

Parenthood is truly the hardest job you’ll ever love. And after all these year, I’m continuing to reap the wonderful rewards of having some pretty awesome kiddos. Do you still have children at home? First chance you get, reach out and give them a great big hug. Smile to yourself knowing that one day, if the Lord tarries, justice will eventually come.

Isn’t there a bumper sticker somewhere that says, “Grandkids are God’s reward to you for letting the children live”?

Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

Being Blessed by God pt2

2009-12-13T10:36:00.001-05:00

It’s another cold day here at the cabin. It started out at about 9 degrees and has warmed up to about 15 at this point. Rumor has it that another snow storm is coming in this afternoon. Oh well, tis the season.

Back to being blessed by God. After reading my last post, Honey told me that I make the blessings of God appear undesirable. Please let me finish the thought before you come to that conclusion. I was afraid that cutting it off too soon was going to leave that impression.

The Scriptures are full of examples of people who were blessed by God. The prophets of the Old Testament were simple men that were chosen by God to deliver His message to the people. To be chosen by God is a great honor and blessing. In being faithful, each of them faced some pretty intense circumstances in their lives. They were ridiculed, chased, threatened, exiled, and hated by the people; merely for being messengers for God. I’m sure that the old adage ‘Don’t shoot the messenger’ was in their thoughts as they stood alone to proclaim the Word of the Lord.

I guess the one person that stands out the most in my mind when I think about being blessed is Mary. Mary was still a child when the angel of the Lord told her that God had chosen her to give birth to the Messiah. What a blessing! She grew up in the teaching that God would one day send a Messiah. She knew that God’s promises were as absolute as the stones in the fields and the stars in the sky. What an honor & privilege to be the one chosen by God to give birth to the Messiah. She endured the birth pains, she shielded Him from the cold, she watched Him take His first steps and she trusted God to guide her as she mothered & nurtured the future King. The Catholics exalt her as being this wise and knowing saint. But in reality, she was simply an innocent girl who believed God. By the time she was probably in her early 50’s, she watched the One that she gave birth to, the One who called her Mama, being tortured and nailed to a cross to die a horrendous death. I’m sure she knew His destiny, but she was a Mama. I suspect that as she watched Him suffer and die, her mind remembered back to the days of His childhood, His sweet smile, His gentle laugh. The pain of watching your child suffer in any form is heartbreaking to a Mama; but for her to watch Him die in ridicule and shame must have been a nightmare beyond anything I can comprehend. Yes, He was God in the flesh – but He was also her son.

But Mary’s story didn’t stop there. She was there when Christ rose from the grave! They were reunited … not as son and mother but as Savior and humble follower. Her blessing at that point was complete.

I guess where I am trying to go with this, is that God blesses each of us in a very special way. To some He gives great wealth, to others He gives talent, and the list can go on & on. But being blessed by God does not mean that He just gives us ‘stuff’ for our benefit and comfort. All that we are, all that we have, is designed to be used for His glory. Let’s look at just a few more examples:

Ester – she was blessed with great beauty. Some would scoff at this blessing, but Ester used that beauty for God’s glory and to protect His people. If you don’t know the story, please take a few minutes to look it up.

Deborah – she was blessed with great courage. She used that courage for God’s glory and helped lead His people into battle. Her story can be found in Judges Chapter 4.

Samson – he was blessed with great strength. His story is well known. He was only human, like each of us. But in the end, he returned to God and used that blessing for God’s glory.

All of the examples given to us in the Bible were of real people, just as average as you and me. What made them stand out as special was the fact that they recognized the blessings from God and chose to use them for God’s glory. Saints, you have been blessed. And God has even greater blessings to give to you – but are you ready to use those blessings for God’s glory? Or are you still holding on to the selfish idea that God’s blessings are designed merely for your ease and comfort?

Do you have a comfortable home? How well does your car work? Look around you. If you can read this … you have been blessed. Are you ready to go to the next step in walking with God? Do you hunger for a deeper relationship with Him? Then take some time to evaluate all the ways that He has blessed you, and prayerfully give it all back to Him. Great rewards often come only after great struggles.

Let me leave you with one final thought:

Jesus was the Beloved Son of God, yet he was born into a meager lifestyle. During His adult life, He never had a home of His own, He never married nor had children, He was tormented by the religious leaders, and He died the most horrendous death known to man. Yes He was God in the flesh … but He still had all the feelings, emotions, and temptations that we have.

I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of the lesson for me. I think that God is about to take me to the next step as I learn to let go and give everything to Him. When you ask for God's blessing, do you really mean it? If so, are you ready to be blessed?

Have a wonderful day, and may the Lord bless you.

Being Blessed By God pt1

2009-12-11T17:47:00.005-05:00

I'm finally over the worst of my dental troubles. It was an ordeal that I never want to go through again. Bless the dentist's heart, I'm sure he got tired of seeing me in his office every other day.

The cabin is surrounded by about a foot of new snow from the last snowstorm. We survived it pretty well. Praise God! The temperatures have been steadily dropping; but so far, it’s bearable. Honey has heard so many rumors about when layoffs may or may not happen. I figure that it will be like last time, he’ll make that last delivery and be told not to come back until spring. I am a creature of habit and the uncertainty of tomorrow could be unsettling. But, I have got such a peace about all of this. God is in control. I am learning to let Him lead us one step at a time, without worry or complaining. I still get a little anxious, but I just talk to Him about my cares and put my hands to the tasks He has given me today.

During the past few days, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be blessed by God. When you ask for God’s blessings – are you truly prepared to be blessed? This is what I’ve come up with so far…

Being Blessed

How many times have you prayed for God’s blessings for a friend or loved one? Or like many of us, silently pleaded for God to pour out a little of His blessings on you? This started rattling around in my head the other morning as I was asking for God to bless my husband as he was leaving for work.

In looking back through the Bible we are given example after example of the people that God had blessed in one form or another.

Moses – born into poverty, yet was adopted into royalty. OK, now that’s a blessing most can understand. While living the life of a prince, he watched ‘his people’ mistreated and abused by the very establishment that cloaked him in fine linens and placed exotic foods at his table. To some, that alone would be torture. In rising up against that unfairness, he was driven into the wilderness by the consequences of his ‘justice’. We all know God sent him back into Egypt to lead his people to freedom. From that point on, he spent the rest of his days wandering through the wilderness with all those folks whining & complaining day in and day out. His blessing was the opportunity to serve God and help free his people. But somehow I think he had days where the blessing felt almost like a curse.

Solomon – was given the choice of blessings. He chose wisdom. In addition to great wisdom, he was blessed with wealth and power beyond our imagination. Now that’s what we hope for when we pray for God’s blessing! Take note: he also wrote the book of Ecclesiastes … beginning with

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever … there is no new thing under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:2-9)

These don’t appear to be the words of a happy man. At the end of the book of Ecclesiastes we learn that Solomon figured it all out,

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Jesus spoke of Solomon when talking to his disciples, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Matthew 6:29) Solomon truly did receive the blessing of wisdom, but with all those wives and concubines, one has to wonder if he didn’t have frequent lapses in judgment.

Zacharias & Elisabeth, parents of John the Baptist – Every parent dreams of having a child that God would single out and use. It is such a heady thing to go out into the community and have everyone know that ‘your child’ was chosen by God to serve a mighty purpose. Zacharias was an important man in the church; Elisabeth was barren and too old to conceive. Yet, they were blessed by God. Their son was chosen to be the front runner for Jesus … an awesome responsibility and blessing; but I’ve often wondered what Zacharias & Elisabeth thought about their blessing when he grew to be a man in the wilderness, eating locus & wild honey. As they went about the community, among the ‘church folk’, do you think they may have wanted to slide into the shadows of obscurity at least occasionally? It’s not easy being the parent of a child that thinks and acts outside the norm. Do you wonder if Zacharias & Elisabeth ever turned to each other and said, ‘He takes after your side of the family’?

I hate cutting things off in the middle, but I’m out of time. I want to explore this thinking further over the next few days. God has really been teaching me so much about what it means to be blessed by Him.

Have a wonderful night, and may the Lord bless you.

Rough Few Days

2009-12-03T19:17:00.001-05:00

Fresh baked bread on the counter cooling, my third batch of apples in the slow cooker to be made into apple butter tomorrow, and all is right with the world … well almost.

Do you get the feeling some days that it’s just going to be one of those life times? I had a tooth pulled almost two weeks ago. The aftermath of the ordeal is still giving me grief. For future reference, NEVER have a tooth pulled before a major holiday, such as Thanksgiving. By the time I realized there was going to be a problem, the holiday weekend had started and the dentist office was closed. Dry socket is difficult in the short-term, but over a four day weekend, it gets to be a little much. Excederine Migraine medicine is truly one of the best drugs on the market today. Without it, I don’t know how I could have coped.

To make a long story short, Monday the dentist packed the hole, and the day was spent waiting for the pain to ease. Tuesday I was starting to come back into it. I processed some apple butter and made the first real supper in many days. As we sat down to eat, the packing came out. Back to the dentist on Wednesday … same long day. By this morning, I was coming back into it again. While I was waiting to put the bread in the oven and start carving up more apples, I noticed that the packing in my mouth was acting like it was trying to come out again. Now the tooth that originally occupied that hole had been irritating me off and on for quite a while now. But if I had known that taking it out was going to turn into such an ordeal, I would have kept it.

Suffice to say I’m cutting this very short tonight and I covet your prayers. I should be back up and going again soon. But until then, have a wonderful night and may the Lord bless you.

Black Friday

2009-11-27T17:58:00.002-05:00

As I sit at my desk in my little room downstairs, I’m listening to the rain and thinking about how nice it is to be inside, warm & content. The weather alerts keep popping up to tell me that the cold weather is on it’s way and indicating that the rain will more than likely turn to ice before it’s all said & done. But for the moment, I don’t care. There are cares around every corner, trouble just outside our four walls, and heartaches a mere phone call away … but for right now, we have given our cares and concerns to the Lord and the world can’t touch us.

I was reading earlier about how a woman in Clarksville, Tennessee had been trampled by other shoppers at a ToysRUs ® store. My first thought was – and we wonder why God is going to chastise this country! Back when I was a kid and families would get together over the Thanksgiving weekend. The men would often watch sports or go fishing/hunting together. The women would either sit around chatting or go down to the mall for some group shopping on Friday. (Men hunt one way - Women hunt another!) Both groups would have a relaxing day with family & friends. Later they would gather around the supper table for leftovers and cards. In the 80’s that all seemed to change. Remember the Cabbage Patch Dolls ®? The obsessive frenzies in acquiring these ugly stuffed dolls was making news all over the world. People were shocked and horrified at the idea of people going insane over buying a child’s toy. Not anymore. Every year it’s the same thing. Stories of mobs, riots, and carnage rarely even make it to the newspapers unless someone dies. And we wonder why God is going to chastise this country! Let’s see … selfishness, greed, waste of God-given resources … the list goes on and on. Whenever I let my guard down and start looking at the ads for gifts for family & friends, I read something like this and get slapped back into reality. NO! The celebration of the birth of Christ is not going to be tainted by selfish commercialism! My Lord did not come to earth to live & die for this. I have again resolved to boycott black Friday and all non-essential shopping between now and New Years day. I encourage you to look at yourself, at your lifestyle, and consider doing the same. I’m aware that the economy of our country is in the toilet and that the spreading of the wealth through the plazas and malls is considered a patriotic gesture on our parts … but the economy can be bolstered just as well by stepping up to the plate and paying our bills and providing for the needs of our neighbors. Someone lied and convinced us that our children will be emotionally scared if they didn’t find the latest contraption under the tree on Christmas morning. We bought into that lie – hook, line, and sinker. If only we/they would be contented with just 1 contraption. Commercials and advertisements have shamed us into believing that the entire room must be filled with boxes stacked on top of boxes filled with expensive gifts to be assured a merry Christmas for one and all.

Honey and I were talking about this the other night and I made a prediction. For the next six weeks, watch and see if the crime rate in the United States doesn’t go up to record setting numbers. With between 20 & 25 percent of our workforce unemployed, theft will skyrocket everywhere. Food and essentials will only be a small portion of the items stolen. People will feel so pressured to provide ‘christmas’ for their families that what can’t be stolen and recycled under their own trees will be sold on the black market for cash. I suspect Craigslist & ebay will be full of ‘new’ gift-giving items just in time for Christmas. There will probably be more violent acts and suicides committed due to the enormous pressure and frustration people will be feeling due to the ‘need’ to provide stuff. And Christians will not be immune from any of this.

Folks, have we truly gotten to this point? Have we let the lies of the world into our homes to the point where we have bastardized the birth of Jesus? Christians, we’re as bad as everyone else! Children are dying all around the world for lack of food, shelter, and clean water while someone is getting trampled at a ToysRUs ® store!!!

Gone are the days of leisurely shopping with the girls. Gone are the days of saving the spare change all year to buy a simple doll out of the Sears & Robuck catalog and selling a hog to buy shoes for the kids. Gone is the innocence of “Silent Night, Holy Night”.

I know that my little boycott won’t make any difference to the stores down at the plaza. But God and I will know. That’s all that matters anyway. Oh by the way, I have one of those ugly dolls on a shelf in my little room. A woman that my Aunt used to work with made it by hand years ago.

Have a good night, and may the Lord bless you.

My Pastor

2009-11-24T10:37:00.002-05:00

What a glorious day! It's been unseasonably warm for November around these parts. By this time the ground is usually frozen and snow everywhere. These mild temperatures are truly heaven sent, and we are so thankful!

I’m in love with my pastor. How many women would confess that? Just to clarify things … my husband is my pastor. My pastor doesn’t work just a couple days a week. He's on duty 24/7. It’s not uncommon to have ‘church’ at supper, over morning coffee, and during our trips to town to buy groceries.

I’ve commented in the past how our church service generally has a congregation of one – me. Well, this past Sunday my Pastor provided me a written version of his sermon to post on Sojourner2Heaven. I don’t often double post, but I wanted to share it with you as well. Keep in mind, this is a much shorter version than the one I heard.

After being up most of last night, due to having a tooth pulled yesterday, I'm going to turn today's post over to my Mountain Man while I slip back into a semi-conscious state. And by the way, if you happen to find any typos ... blame the editior. She's not real 'with it' today.

The Closing Act

The Scriptures warn of how life will be as the end of this age draws to a close. In the book of Revelation it warns how if these times are not shortened even the elect would fall. Some say that refers to those who come to the Lord after the rapture and others say it speaks to now. In either case I think the Bible is clear. We are living at the end of this age.

I have become so disillusioned with the "church". Very few in my area seem willing to address what I feel should be screamed from the rooftops. Repent!! The Lord is returning soon and is even at the door. Christians should be focused on two things, Get right with the Lord and reaching the lost. This should be the urgent message to all.

I listen with huge disappointment to Christian media and I cannot believe the time and money spent to bring messages of everything from seeking God's blessings (money) to weight loss. Selling self-help books on Christian living and trying to understand your child and how to manage your money, and how to get out of debt. The list goes on and yet the answers are all in the book, the Bible!

Where is the fire? Where are the leaders who preach salvation and admonishment and lead Bible studies on serving the Lord and living for Christ? All the answers to life's questions are in the scriptures.

It is no wonder that a so-called Christian nation has voted into office a government that stands in complete rebellion of everything Jesus stands for. But the Bible foretold all that is happening now. The hard times that await this country have to come to pass for the antichrist, that is waiting in the wings, to appear on the world's stage. The Bible tells how mankind will wax worse and worse, lovers of self, liars and adulterers. Having a form of Godliness without believing the power thereof. The scriptures are clear that the entire world will come against Israel. This nation, until now, has always stood in defense of the nation of Israel; but that stand has been steadily withdrawn for more than a decade until we now have a government that opposes Israel.

Wake up people! We are NOT going to change Washington. As Christians we may be fortunate enough to escape the total collapse of the United States, but we will not change it. Christians need to focus on our primary cause. Reaching the lost for Christ. This should be our only focus, no ... DRIVE, in life. The church should be screaming at the top of its collective lungs to get the Love of Christ out there to the lost souls of this world.

Yes, feeding the hungry, clothes for the needy, these are all part of showing the Love of Christ to a lost world. Losing weight, understanding your teenager, and living in prosperity are not. The proper way to raise children and care for the temple and manage finances is all in God's Holy word. Buying more and more self help books is a waste of the resources God Blessed us with when people around the world are stepping into eternity every day without the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

There is one book with all the answers to life's problems. It does not need rewording, repackaging, or costly seminars to understand it. Read God's word with a sincere heart, for hearing God's will for our lives is all it takes. $30 for a good Bible and a pastor who is on fire for the Lord and not afraid to lead according to God's word and you have all you need in the self-help category.

On that day when I see Jesus, I want to hear Him say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter now into the rest of your Lord". Do you want also to hear Him say this to you? Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this is the time for which we were born. Join me now and let's work the harvest. A Holy harvest for our Lord and Savior. Now is the time, and the workers are few. Lets reach out, in His love, to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

Simply walking in faith, Ray

Everyone have a good day, and may the Lord bless you.

What's On Your List?

2009-11-20T14:45:00.004-05:00

I woke up to rain here at the cabin. Fortunately the temperatures were warmer than average. I’m sure everything will slip over to winter mode soon enough; but I’m just thanking God for the reprieve. There’s still a lot to do before the harsh winter winds come beating at the door.

Have you ever been around somebody that is so insufferable that you question his or her ‘Christianity’? After all, if they were truly a Christian, they wouldn’t ______ (fill in the blank). Personally, I tend to have a hierarchy of sins list. My list ranges from least (pride) to worst (murder of the innocent) with a multitude of other infractions in the middle somewhere. This sin list isn’t set in stone, (as God’s was). The sins on my list seem to shift, depending on who the recipient of the particular sin is. It also depends on whether or not I can justify it when the sinner is me. Sound familiar? I’m sure that you know somebody else just like me. (wink/wink). Let me ask you another question. Do you ever have one of those days where you could sit and write out you sins list – then place a specific name beside each sin?

All too often I catch myself looking at other folks’ sins as being worse than my own. I like to think that I’m a good judge of people … yet others sit in judgment of me. See the difference? By the way, I’m a terrible judge of people. But it doesn’t stop me from trying. When I misrepresent the truth it’s for a person’s own good. Other folks just flat out lie to me. Let’s face it, none of us are immune. We all face that sin issue each day. I can be here completely by myself for 12 hours a day and still rack up more sins than someone working in a corporate office building. And it’ll be completely unintentional. Before you get stuck on that last sentence … yes, even Christians sin intentionally. This is Friday night. If you have any doubts about what I’m saying … just drive around town for a little while.

Honey has a saying that he uses a lot, “Don’t give the devil more credit than he deserves.” Simple fact: our very nature is sinful. We don’t have to work at sin. Our most primary sin is selfishness and everything else we do branches almost completely off of that. Why do we lie? To either protect us from unpleasant consequences or to make ourselves look better. Why do we cheat? To acquire more for self. And why do we judge? The fastest way to feel better about yourself is to look around and see that others are inferior in one form or another. The examples go on and on. Yes, the devil and his minions are a nasty bunch. They aren’t little cartoon characters that tease us into mischief. The devil himself leads us straight to the gates of hell like a pied piper while his demons cheer from the sidelines. If I listen closely, I can almost hear them saying, “It’s all about YOU”, “You can have it YOUR way”, “YOU don’t have to take that”, etc. And my selfish nature snags on to every word with both hands! Oh yea! ME! ME … ME … ME … ME!!! Thus, my sins can’t possibly be as bad as everyone else’s. Right?

This is why it’s so very important to seek God every day. We need Him to guide us in our thoughts and our actions. The very minute I start focusing on me, I’m putting Him second in my life. The minute I start looking down on others, I’ve left the servant role that He has given me and placed myself above those that are in need of a minister instead of a judge. Jesus died for them too.

This is the latest in the lessons that God has been trying to teach me. When I get quiet for long periods of time, that usually means God is in the process of teaching and/or correcting me. Does this mean that I can’t speak out about sin? No. It just means that when I see sin in others, my first responsibility is to pray for them. Not like the Pharisees of old … but humbly and with compassion. Then let God lead me in what to say and when to say it. Folks, life is a journey. We are just sojourners/pilgrims on the road toward God and our heavenly home. In sharing what God is teaching me, I hope it’ll make the journey a little smoother for someone else.

Have a good evening, and may the Lord bless you!

Thank You

2009-11-18T14:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was warm and pretty here at the cabin. We had a heavy frost last night, and right now the high temperature is a whopping 40 degrees. The frost has melted off where the sun hits; but in the shade, it's still there. The sunshine is beautiful and good for the spirit. It's a good day to be a cat. The idea of curling up by the window to absorb the warmth of the sun through the glass seems like a really inviting idea.

Just a little update on Alan. The last word I had was that he made it through the surgery fine. He's sitting up and eating on his own. They apparently found some scar tissue and what appears to be the beginning of a new tumor, but was able to get it all. I suspect he will be out of the hospital by the end of the week and back in the barn supervising. Praise God.

There's not much else going on around here lately. The last we heard, Honey still has about 6-7 more weeks of work before layoff. And we're spending every spare minute of free time on getting the motorhome ready to go. The old saying: "Work like everything depends on us and pray like everything depends on God." sure seems to apply right now.

I'm out of time for today, but I just wanted to pass along the update and thank everyone for the prayers. It's so nice to know that when the storms start looking their worst, the Saints are standing ready to pray.

Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

Prayer Request

2009-11-16T20:23:00.002-05:00

The rain has stopped and a cold wind is sweeping through the meadow. My mood right now could best be described as pensive. A lot of thoughts are going through my head today; and at present, I really can't elaborate on them. Maybe in time.

Do you remember a few weeks ago when I told you about my brother-in-law Alan? He had surgery for a brain tumor. The doctors told him that the tumor was cancerous and that it was one of the more aggressive types. Alan went through the chemo treatments without too much difficulty, but in a recent MRI they found what might be another tumor. He goes in tomorrow morning for yet another surgery. This time the doctors will be performing some kind of procedure where they will insert something in the affected area that is supposed to kill of the blood cells to the tumor. To my understanding, this is experimental. I have very strong thoughts about people being used as lab rats, but I have come to the conclusion that whatever they do or don’t do – God is in control. It is very easy to speculate about people, circumstances, and establishments. My own human nature is quick to judge. God has been working with me on this less than desirable quality. I haven’t got a good handle on it yet; but I’m still trying. I do want to ask you all to say a prayer for Alan and my dear sister-in-law Cheryl. She has carried many heavy burdens in the past, but this is the heaviest so far.

Yesterday we held a special family prayer meeting. Without a doubt it was inspired by God; and with only one exception, everyone showed up. Honey’s folks live in a little one-bedroom house, so squeezing everyone in was a challenge unto itself. Fortunately everyone filtered in, so lunch was served in shifts. Then we gathered in the kitchen for communion. That was such a heartwarming event. Let me tell you, when the Saints gather to seek the Lord … there’s nothing sweeter. Those that came with the full intention of meeting God there weren’t disappointed.

Why is this such an odd occurrence? Why don’t families gather like this on a regular basis and hold each other up in prayer anymore? The first line of defense is prayer. So much of the time, the only line of defense is prayer! Why do we have to wait until our backs are against the wall? God isn’t a big meanie, waiting to snap at us for bothering Him. He loves us and wants us to talk with Him all the time … about everything on our minds.

Meja came by while I was writing and just now left. It’s late, so I’ll have to close for now. But please remember this family in your prayers and I’ll hopefully be back tomorrow with an update.

Have a good night, and may the Lord bless you.

Veteran's Day 2009

2009-11-11T16:14:00.004-05:00

Today is Veteran's Day. In light of the recent terrorist act at Ft. Hood, I think we need to raise up our Service men and women in special prayer. Not only do they have to face the enemies of our country overseas, but they also are being attacked behind the lines at their bases and their homes. They have dedicated their lives for our safety and freedom. Their families have unselfishly shared their sons, daughters, husbands, wives, daddys and mamas with us. Please take some time today and pray for them and their families. Pray also for the ones who have lost so much for us.

Dear Lord, thank you for those, both young and old, who have stood diligent to protect and serve a nation of people who are so undeserving. Bless them and their families. Guide them in the path that is right in Your eyes and give them comfort through the dark days, both present and ahead. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

May the Lord watch over our brave guardians of freedom, and may He bless you too.

Good Enough

2009-11-10T16:44:00.002-05:00

The temperatures have been blissfully warm this week. I had roofers here last week. At least that’s what they called themselves. It was Honey’s dad and son-in-law. They were finishing the roofing job that they started last fall. It seems like something always came up when it was time to finish the roof. Do you ever feel that before you can finish what you started, wildfires spring up to demand your attention? Honey’s poor dad has been stomping out wildfires all summer long; and as it is, he’s still trying to get the new waterline set and buried before snow comes and stays. After watching him these past few years, I don’t know if retirement is as restful as everyone claims. He’s the busiest man I know. Granted, most of that is self-imposed. He’s the kind of person that looks for things to do and people to help. I suspect that there’s a special reward in heaven for that dear man.

As I was making the bed this morning, I started thinking about the everyday menial tasks that we all perform on a regular basis. You know the kind. It’s the ones that no matter how many times you do them … they are there the next day waiting to be done again. Occasionally I find myself spending so much time on the routine tasks that I want to cut corners and maybe not devote as much attention to the chores as I should. After all, I’m only going to make the bed, etc. again tomorrow. Does anyone besides my ex-military Daddy care if I can bounce a quarter on my freshly made bed? (When we were kids, Daddy would sometimes inspect our beds and often used the quarter example to ‘inspire’ quality.) How about you? Are there tasks and chores in your everyday life that you feel are taking precious time away from more important duties?

As I was pondering all of this, I felt that nudge again. You know the nudge where God is wanting you to pay attention because He is about to make a point. This is what came to mind:

Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

(Ephesians 6:6-8)

As to the Lord? So many times I view menial tasks as a nuisance. How can a little thing like making the bed be important to Him? Then some thoughts came to mind. When I worked in public, I found that people would often regress in their work ethics, instead of improve, as they became familiar with their jobs. At first, they would be the shinning example of the perfect employee. As time went on, it was extremely common to hear them bellyaching and complaining about every little thing. Finally, they would become such malcontents that their work would be sloppy at best, and more often than not the little tasks assigned to them would be completely overlooked. With this thought in mind, do I dare look around me? Have I gotten so used to my blinders that I refuse to see the little tasks that I deem unpleasant? Am I working ‘as unto the Lord’?

I don’t spread this exciting revelation from God with the intent of pointing fingers and passing out shame. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m simply sharing a very hard lesson that God is trying to teach me.

The journey to heaven is very exciting and full of wonder. It is also a quest. A quest to draw closer to our Dear Father as we proceed along our way. There is awe-inspiring power in the great miracles of God; but He is also a very personal God. Just as He walked with Adam in the garden each day, in fellowship and love. He wants to have that very relationship with each of us as well. I gratefully serve a Master that takes time to guide and correct me personally as I seek to serve Him and others better. Try saying that about the false gods of this world.

God is so good – All the time!

Have a great day, and may the Lord bless you!

Pickels

2009-11-06T14:10:00.003-05:00

I was rummaging through some old things a day or so ago and found this picture. Let me introduce you to an old friend of mine … Pickels the clown. Pickels was my alter ego many years ago. What started out to be a part-time job delivering balloons, turned into a full-fledged personality change for me. As a shy young woman, I had dreams of becoming this sophisticated career-type person. I wanted to be like the divas in the soap operas that had class and dignity. Back then, like most young families, we were often strapped for money. This was during the time of the ‘entrepreneurs’. A friend convinced me that she and I could make up a couple of costumes and deliver balloons for birthdays and special occasions. Somehow in an oil town of 1,000 people we were suppose to get rich. (Awe for the optimism of youth!) Costumes were created, business cards were printed, and commitments were made … and she backed out, leaving me to go out among the people to embarrass myself alone. There were smiles and laughter wherever I went … I was hooked!

Over the years, Pickels and I grew up together. I literally threw myself into this new ‘career’ and studied the masters of comedy and slapstick. I became close personal friends with librarians who would use the inter-library loan system to find books on magic, costuming, theatrical makeup, and silly jokes. Pickels grew more polished and established, becoming a minor celebrity in areas across Texas. Me? Well God had some things to teach me in all of this.

God used that period in my life to teach me how to focus my attention outward. He put some really awesome Christian clowns in my life and used them to teach me lessons about dying to self and becoming what the Bible terms as ‘the least of these’. I couldn’t serve Him and stay focused on my own ‘dignity’ and self-image at the same time. I had to learn to ‘put myself out there’ to be laughed at and possibly ridiculed. You know, that rarely happened. Instead, I found people wanted to be near me. They wanted for just a few moments to reconnect with innocence and fun. They wanted to forget their burdens and be child-like again … just for a little while. I learned that anyone can put on the makeup; but to be a real clown, I had to learn to have so much love and compassion for people that it bubbled out of me. Without a doubt, that was an experience of a lifetime! I never earned much money, but I became as rich as King Solomon in so many ways.

To have a true servant’s heart, we have to always keep in mind that this life isn’t about us. When asked by the scribes what the most important commandment was, Jesus said “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. There is none other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

Little secret to all you young folks out there … life isn’t about dignity, pride, and image. All these things are extra baggage to weigh us down and hinder our service to the Lord. Let them all go and become as a child. A child trusts without question, loves without reservation, and is open to all the wonderful experiences that a loving Father can bestow on them. And Christians, here’s a secret for you … it’s not about ‘us’. When we went to the Cross, we died to self. It’s all about serving God, in whatever capacity He calls you to. For a period of my life … it was to literally become a fool for Him. The things He taught me during those years will serve me the rest of my life. God is so good! Will you put aside all the ‘baggage’ of self and trust Him completely to lead you? It’s scary at first … but oh, what an adventure!

Have a great day and may the Lord bless you!

Halloween

2009-10-31T07:41:00.002-04:00

Today is a big day for many children across the country. When I was younger, halloween was a big treat; but the most fun I had was when the kids were little. The kids were dressed in customized costumes each year. They had a unique edge on the other kids at school – their Mama was a professional clown and had all the cool theatrical make up and gadgets! One year Eric wanted to be the wolfman. It took HOURS to paste the hair all over his face, neck and hands. What was worse was that it took even longer to get that stuff off. That wouldn’t have been too bad, except it was a school night. What a mess that was!

Then in the late 1980’s the occult came to West Texas. One year pentagrams were discovered in underpasses and various locations around Abilene. Word got out that they were performing human sacrifices and other rituals. Things started to get a little creepy. Then rumor got around that they were looking for blonde-haired kids to use in their rituals. My older brother and his wife had four and lived in that area. The innocence of the holiday was stolen. The more I looked into the practices of the occult, the more uncomfortable I became with celebrating a holiday that had such strong roots in the Celtic beliefs. For awhile we did the ‘Christian alternative’ thing … but that still didn’t feel right to me. Later on, when Honey and I got married, we discussed the halloween practices and he had already come to the belief that halloween should be completely ignored by God’s people. Being raised in an area that has such strong ties to devil worshipping and the occult, I can understand why he felt the way he did.

Each year I hear discussions, debates, and a lot of criticism among the Saints concerning halloween. Some still allow their children to celebrate the holiday because it’s just kids dressing up and having fun. Others maintain that Christians can celebrate it, but should have a ‘Christian-themed’ alternative. And there are the staunch ‘thou shalt not’ types who go around smacking other Christians and everyone else with their Bibles for even mentioning the word halloween. I believe that each person needs to seek God on this issue and follow His leading. For us, people know that we just aren’t interested in celebrating this day and the lights stay off.

Tonight in our part of the world, there are many who will celebrate today with almost obsessive glee. This is their ‘Christmas’ … their day to worship whatever false god(s) they have chosen to follow. In knowing this, I have grown to dread this day; and I catch myself looking back to when this was simple a fun day for cute little kids to dress up and have some fun. Was this day ‘stolen’ from our children or has God finally gotten through to us about being ‘in the world’ but not being ‘part of the world’? I guess it’s something to think about.

Walk with God as you sort out this thing called life, and may the Lord bless you.

Books

2009-10-28T13:51:00.003-04:00

The sky is overcast and there’s a distinct chill in the air this morning. Bluegrass is playing on the computer with the washer and dryer providing the background beat. Isn’t it funny how some sounds just say ‘home’. When I was a child, that sound was Mama’s electric mixer. We were a mashed potato family. More often than not mashed potatoes were the side dish to just about everything. Whether outside playing or in my room reading, I knew when the mixer started, it was just about dinnertime. It’s a shame that so many people today associate that sound with the ding of a microwave.

I’ve been re-reading the book “Deadline” by Randy Alcorn. It’s a novel that is part who-done-it and part theology. I didn’t think those two writing styles could be combined, but if you ever find yourself looking for a good read – check it out. It’s a page-turner. My ADD brain starts with the concepts of the novel and somewhere down the line took a hard right, leaving me to dwell on the following concept.

Just suppose you are sitting at a table and someone places a notebook & pen in front of you, instructing you to write your life story. The notebook is filled with clean white pages. Each page is a day of your life. The story must be written with complete honesty, (leaving nothing out), and it must be written in ink, (no erasing or scratching out any segment or deed). What kind of story would it be?

Our parents start the story for us. In love, they begin our novel as a fairy tale. We are the little ‘princes’ and ‘princesses’ that will conquer the dragons and defeat the evil witches. But soon we leave the nursery room only to discover a great big world filled with temptation, pain, and disappointments. We learn that we are weak and fallible. We also discover that we have the ability to endure beyond what we think is possible.

What kind of book would you write if you were being completely honest? For most the tone of their book will change from chapter to chapter. Adventure, drama, comedy … the chapters will ebb and flow as we look back to see the different circumstances of our lives. Have you noticed a thread running through the story line yet? Have you, as the main character, remained consistent? Or has there been a life changing event to redirect your course?

When the pages are all filled, the novel complete, and “THE END” permanently sealing the days of your life between the covers, where do you suppose it would be placed in the library of eternity? For me, I would love to see my life story in the Classic section. A story of virtue, good vs. evil, with the heroine (me) defying the dark forces and being victorious in the end. But all kidding aside, as I hold my book and skim through the many pages, my first reaction would be to look around to make sure no one else was looking. I would be ashamed for others to read large sections of this book, especially my children and grandchildren. There are a few fun stories and shinning moments that I would want to share. But in this book, we aren’t allowed to pick & choose – everything must be included.

For many, their books would read like a tabloid – often imitating the actions of others and not taking the time to sort out life for themselves. There will be a sad group who would write their version of the TV Guide – living life vicariously through fictional characters created by someone else. I guess the largest section in the eternal library would be the ‘drama’ crowd. I’m not going to talk too loud about this … big portions of my life would place me in this group. Does this make-believe concept make you as uncomfortable as it does me?

The reason for this seemingly silly exercise is to point out that yes, we are writing our books. These books will not end when our bodies are laid to rest at death. These books are for eternity. God is the one who has access to all the books, because the eternal library is His. As I think about that, my first reaction is to breathe a sigh of relief that nobody else will see. But as I roll this concept around a little more, I become even more ashamed and humbled. I want to cry ‘Anyone BUT Him!’ You see, He created me with love, He was there to comfort me through the darkest hours, and He was there pleading with me to come out of my sin and back into His arms. I am reminded yet again the sheer wonder of His grace and mercy. You see, He is the sole editor of our books. He promises that if we come to Him with a true repentant heart, seeking forgiveness; He will cover our transgressions with the blood of Jesus. This blood will forever blot out our shameful deeds and then God promises to ‘remember them no more’.

As any good writer knows, you always keep the ending in mind as you write the chapters. With each page you move closer to that ultimate finale. We have to stop living each day like a TV sitcom. One day we will all stand in front of God. He will review our books with us, and our eternal destiny will forever be determined. My past is what it is, but each day is a new beginning. Across the top of each new page I write:

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve … as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

May the Lord bless you.

Tim's Rock

2009-10-24T17:36:00.004-04:00

It’s raining again here at the cabin. All I can say is, at least it’s not snow. There hasn’t been much of anything going on around here lately. Honey’s Dad and Brother-in-law have been working on burying the new water line before the freezing temperatures are here to stay. Awhile back my brother-in-law had a boo boo while he was working on the ditch. I didn’t want to post these pictures until the tractor was fixed and back in operation. Tim has amazing skill when he uses his tractor; but that day things just happened and the “rock” came out of the bucket and put a nice size dent in the hood. Actually, I think it shattered pretty much all the hood. From what I hear, Tim was in no real danger – he was out of the seat and off the tractor before the rock ever landed. Personally, I think he has some big guardian angels, and sometimes they have to work overtime. Amazingly the tractor was still functional. He loaded it up and hauled it to a friend’s house to have the rock removed. The tractor and his dignity have now been restored. If the weather cooperates, the line should be buried and everything back to normal by the middle of next week.

There’s really no more news to speak of right now, and my coffee cup is empty. So I guess it’s time to get back to work.

Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

How Much Do You Love Them?

2009-10-20T16:58:00.003-04:00

My morning has been spent in the kitchen. There’s bread rising on the counter, a pot of chili on the stove, and a bowl of apples sprinkled with sugar & cinnamon tucked away to use in a pie later. The chili is to freeze. Supper will more than likely be baked ham. I try to keep ‘fast food’ in the freezer for the days when I’m not able to cook; and coming into winter, there will be more and more of those days ahead. But that’s OK, at least I’ll be prepared.

There is a lot of activity around the cabin these days. The local power company has contracted a tree service to clear trees and branches around the power lines. It’s a common practice around here in the winter. When the snow starts to come down by the foot instead of by the flake, the trees get overloaded and power outages are extremely common in the winter. For folks that don’t have generators … it’s a really awful feeling to have the power shut off and it’s 20 below outside. Not knowing how long a power outage will last will even cause a little unrest in folks who do have backup. We’ve been wanting to go off-grid for years. It’s just not feasible here at the cabin. Living in a meadow surrounded by mountain tops leaves us with very little sun and hardly any wind to speak of. Anyway, I was outside watching them work earlier. Let me tell you, that’s some scary job they have! I caught myself holding my breath more than once. Before I realized it, I was praying over these men.

Last night Honey came home and was telling me about a wreck that happened at one of the job sites he was on yesterday. The trucks were hauling asphalt for a paving job locally. One of the dump trucks was down at the work site and the others were parked up the hill waiting their turn to unload. From what I understand, a couple of local boys in a little green car came flying through the work site and hit the back tire of the dump truck. The impact was hard enough to bounce the car quite a ways, and in the process part of the car went under the tail end of the truck, peeling the top of the passenger roof off like opening a can of sardines. Fortunately the passenger just happened to be bending down messing with his cell phone when it occurred. The driver in the dump truck hardly felt the truck shake. He and the rest of the crew working there were safe. The compact car did little more than scuff the truck tire. Honey and the other drivers were far enough away that they didn’t even know there had been an accident until someone from the work crew came up to get a fellow driver who also happens to be an EMT. I don’t think the boys were seriously hurt, other than an airbag headache.

While my hands were deep in bread dough, my thoughts began to wander. There are so many dangerous jobs out there. And for those of us who aren’t in harms way, we just don’t know what’s around the next bend. Is there someone in your life that you care about, but aren’t sure if they have accepted the Lord? Have you asked them? My first thought is that people usually have real strong thoughts and opinions about ‘religion’. Would me asking them such a personal question endanger our friendship? My next thought is – if they were to die today, could I live with myself if I don’t ask them? And finally - if I were to die today, would my last conversation with them point them to Jesus?

I find that it’s easier to talk to Jesus about them than it is to talk to them about Jesus. When this realization strikes me, I like to justify it by telling myself that I’m being a ‘prayer warrior’! (That sounds almost self-righteous doesn’t it?) I find myself praying “God, send someone to tell them about you.” Do you pray for that ‘other’ saint too? Am I telling on myself, or what? I can strike such a pious pose if I would just keep my mouth shut and only utter the ‘proper christian words’ when I do speak. Maybe my lack of pretense is why God gives me this assignment.

I suspect my biggest problem is that I’m a coward. I don’t like rejection. What if they call me a ‘Bible Thumper’ or ‘Holy Roller’? Even worse, what if they tell others that I’m one of ‘those’ people? In my head, this sounds almost funny. My head says “So?” But it is a very real and natural fear. No one wants to feel rejected, especially by someone we care about. It’s so much easier to share Jesus with strangers. But that thinking puts “I” at the center. How much do you love THEM?

(long pause in writing)

While I was writing these very words, God convicted me in a big way. Here I was talking about sticking your neck out and sharing Jesus with others, when there were people in my own life that I needed to talk to about Jesus, but I always managed to chickened out whenever I would get on the phone with them. Often I would slip in little key words like ‘prayer’ and ‘God’, and when they changed the subject I would just let it drop. Even though I don’t talk to them very often, they have always been so special to me. For the past few days, God has put them on my heart. So while the bread was in the oven, I called them. The thought of them slipping into eternity before I had a chance to ask them about Jesus was more than my conscience could bear. The conversation was brief and the phone passed from her to him before I could build up my courage. He & I visited for a few minutes and I asked him if he knew Jesus and if Jesus was his Savior. I’m sure that there are more subtle or eloquent ways of doing this, but as most would agree – I just don’t know how to beat around the bush, and I wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass this time.

I don’t know what I expected. There weren’t any angry words. There weren’t any shouts of Alleluia either. Just a pause and “Yes, I believe so.” His voice remained as soft as it has ever been, but I sensed a coolness after that. In just a few minutes, his dinner was ready. Knowing them the way I do, after more than 40 years, the topic will come up over dinner. Will this affect our relationship? Probably. But that’s OK. The little demons are trying to convince me that I made a mistake. But, you know, I did what I felt God was telling me to do. I do know that since our conversation, the urging from God has stopped. This has been a burden I’ve carried for years, and it’s gone now. My delivery may not have been the best, but God’s is. God will use that seed. How? I may never know.

“No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.” Luke 11:33

Pray for courage and guidance, and follow the Lord’s lead. His Word never returns void. And if you don’t know Jesus as your Savior and Lord – please seek Him. It’s really simple. Just ask Him to make Himself real to you, and see what happens.

Have a great rest of the day, and may the Lord bless you.

Praising The Lord

2009-10-19T18:27:00.001-04:00

The cold is really starting to settle in here at the cabin. Yesterday the cold was bone chilling. I wouldn’t have been surprised at all if it would have started snowing. Honey has been fighting a cold, and being outdoors all weekend hasn’t helped any. There seems to be more work to do than we can ever dream of catching up on. We just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Either it gets done, or it doesn’t. We just do our part and trust God for the rest.

I hesitate to even write anything today. I have a tendency to say what’s on my mind, even when I probably shouldn’t. It’s just been so long, and you’ve been on my mind today. For several days now, and especially today, I have had such a sense of dread. This isn’t common for me; so that makes it even more unnerving. Have you ever had that feeling that you just can’t seem to shake? You don’t know what it is that you are ‘dreading’; but no matter how you try to focus your attention on something else, it just hangs on. I’ve prayed about it, but it doesn’t ease. I’ve prayed for family, friends, acquaintances, and for folks I don’t even know. It would be real easy for me to start finding things to worry about. What do you do when this happens?

I’ve given this considerable thought, and remembered something I had heard awhile back. “When all else fails, praise the Lord.” So I crank up my favorite Robin Mark soundtrack and start singing praises to God. I’m reminded of the time when Peter and the other disciples were in a boat late one night. The sea was ‘contrary’ and they were having to really struggle to get it to the other side. They looked up and saw Jesus walking across the water toward them. Peter called out to Jesus, wanting to walk out to the Lord. When Jesus bid him “Come”, Peter stepped out of the boat and began walking on the water toward him. But before he could get to where Jesus was, Peter lost focus and starting letting the circumstances around him get his attention. Peter began to sink. He cried to the Lord for help. Fortunately the Lord reached out and lifted him back up. As long as Peter kept his eyes on the Lord, he was able to do what no man had ever done before.

I’m not trying to do anything big like walking on water. Just getting through today is enough right now. I am learning that when I put my focus on God and start praising Him with my ‘joyful noise’ the peaceful assurance comes. No matter what happens, as long as I keep my eyes on God – it will all work out according to His will. Whatever is causing this feeling of dread isn’t concerning me anymore. It’s annoying at best. But I will just keep praising God and praying for all those who come to mind. God’s Will is perfect. I may not understand it, but He knows the big picture. I’m just a tiny little piece in the grand design. We can’t let circumstances or even feelings distract us from seeking Him.

You know, it’s nice to be able to talk this out. Thank you so much for patiently listening. Please keep us in your prayers. You are in mine.

May the Lord bless and keep you.

What's Your Opinion?

2009-10-15T12:13:00.001-04:00

There is a deep chill in the meadow this morning. The signs of winter being right around the corner are everywhere here. But inside the cabin, everything is toasty warm. To Honey, I am so grateful. His first and last concern each day is to make sure that I’m comfortable. Thank you my Dear.

I was browsing through my favorites list this morning and found something I wanted to show you. The blog written by Northcountryfarmer had some really good posts today. As I scrolled down the page, a particular article caught my attention. Farmers, you’ve got to see the picture that goes with the post! You can find it under “Dairymen March on EU”. The article is pretty good, but the picture is worth a thousand words!

Is it right to protest against the government? I’ve heard this discussed and debated among folks. This seems to be a particularly difficult subject for Christians. I’ve heard folks quote Scriptures for the pro and the con. What do you think? After a lot of thought and prayer, I’ve come to some conclusions. I can’t and won’t attribute these conclusions to God’s direction. These thoughts are completely mine. But, after listening to the debates, I figured that this is as good a time as any for me to enter into the mix.

Should Christians speak out against the government? I don’t believe that being a Christian means that we are to be doormats. I personally feel that if the government and its laws go against the Laws of God, we should speak up.

There are different groups of Christians around the country:

Some are under the belief that in protesting we can turn our own country back around.
This isn’t the 1960’s. Civil rights protests and peaceful rebellion isn’t going to work. Unfortunately, what we have right now will more than likely be the best we are ever going to have. My reasoning – the Bible. The world at large knows that civilization as we know it is about to change forever. And I’ve mentioned time and again that the seasons are changing. If there’s a question, read Matthew chapter 24. There’s a checklist in there that tells us that when these things come to pass … the end is near. The events of Revelation and the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets can’t occur if one nation holds out as a strong Christian force. And look around, our leaders are voted into office (by Christians as well as any) based on selfish desire, (particularly the pocketbook). Should we quit fighting for what’s right? I don’t believe so. We should stand up and tell folks, especially our leaders, what God’s Word says. I’ve been known to say again and again “I won’t go quietly into the night.” The only time I’ll stop telling folks that sin is wrong will be when the Lord calls me home. I don’t expect my shouting from the rooftops will change the course of this country … but just maybe it will change the thinking and the heart of just one person.

Some folks are under the belief that our leaders will turn back to God if given enough time. I have to choose my words carefully here. All I can say is, ‘God bless you dear sweet Saint!’ You are right about one thing; we need to keep praying for our leaders. My prayer has been “God please change their hearts, but if their hearts won’t change … please stop them in their efforts!” I read a book by a well-known Christian leader recently. He spent better than 150 of the 300 pages trying to convince the readers that if we shared our wealth with love and compassion, then we can turn this world back into the ‘Eden’ that God had originally designed. But then he quoted Jimmy Carter, Gandhi, and Bono more than he quoted God.

And there are those who feel that we need to just duck our heads and stay low. In this group the thinking is pretty diverse. Some want to just hide and wait for the Lord to come rescue His Saints, leaving the rest of the world to fend for themselves. Others feel that the time for words is over and that we need to just be ready to reach out to others with the love of God when the world starts falling totally apart. I don’t think God called us to be cowards and hide, with the only objective being our own selves. But the last group just may have the best point of all.

The Bible describes the last days for us. These things can’t occur if America continues to be a Christian Superpower. And no, the entire population of America won’t suddenly disappear in the rapture. Obama is right about one thing, this isn’t a Christian nation anymore. I suspect that the rapture won’t disrupt much of the world’s population. Hiding to save our own skin is just plain wrong! I won’t even go there. But my personal thinking is, while we still have the ‘right’ to speak out against the wrongs … we need to. But sadly that day will soon end, and then it’ll be time to help other’s through the fall-out. God is moving in a mighty way. He’s drawing His children closer to Him. More and more Christians are getting hungry for God’s Word! More and more Christians are feeling the urgency to prepare for the times that are coming. And God is preparing a mighty army of ministers that will help those in physical and spiritual need during the turbulent times ahead.

Folks, where do you stand in all this? God has a job for each of His saints. Each of us will be called on to minister to others. Are you getting ready? Are you seeking Him for guidance and direction, or are you simply denying the reality of what’s ahead?

May the Lord bless you as you seek to serve Him.

The End Of Fall

2009-10-13T14:12:00.002-04:00

The chores are started for today, and I’ll stop and jot down a few things as I wander past the computer. This morning didn’t start off very well. I looked out the back door when I got up at 4AM, and it was raining. I didn’t think much of it. About an hour later as Honey was leaving to go to work, he opened the door, turned around and bellowed back to me – “ I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WAS RAINING!!!”. We got our first snow of the season this morning! I’m sure that someone somewhere is rejoicing over this kind of thing; but we are not ready for the first signs of winter to hit just yet. Although, this is giving us an even greater sense of urgency to work harder & faster.

Things have been busy here at the cabin for the past week. Honey & his Dad finished putting in the new water tank Saturday. And for the most part, I’m up and going again. They still need to bury the new waterline outside as soon as possible, but everything inside is working fine. Sunday afternoon, Honey gathered up a load of scrap metal. Since he had to take yesterday off anyway, he figured he’d haul the load down to Claremont early. It was worth the trip. The proceeds will help pay for the repairs still needed on the motorhome.

Yesterday was ‘doctor day’. I usually go once or twice a year; but last spring my regular doctor decided that I needed to see the neurologist again. My doctors are up in Burlington, so it requires several hours to make the trip. There’s a lot I could say about my doctors, but it’s best that I don’t. I will say that we could have saved a lot of time, money, and aggravation if I could have just made a quick 5-minute phone call. Doctors aside, it was a nice trip for the most part. Fall is winding down here in New England. This year the colors haven’t been as brilliant as usual. But even the muted colors of rusty orange and yellow are beautiful. Here are a few pictures I took on the way back. Overlook the blurred stuff in the forefront, Honey’s lead-foot was heavier than usual yesterday. These were taken west of Montpellier. It’s a good thing we were able to get them, the beautiful part of fall is over now. I’m also adding a quick picture I took of our first snow of the year this morning. It was only a taste of things to come, but it was still deeper than anything I ever saw as a teen in West Texas. I recommend enlarging them to get better detail.

Well, I have to get back to work. Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

More Pictures

2009-10-13T14:00:00.000-04:00

Are You Ready?

2009-10-07T15:31:00.002-04:00

Break time. It’s a true fall day here at the cabin. The day is overcast and dark. A cold front is trying to push through. It rained all night; and after a short break, the wind is bringing the next wave of rain in. Preparations for winter continue to be on the forefront of our minds. Days like today give us a new sense of urgency. Plans have been made, parts ordered, and more work that we think we can accomplish in just a few short weeks lay ahead. But with God’s help, we will be ready. For today, there’s potato salad in the fridge, bread rising on the counter, black-eyed peas on the stove and in a couple of hours I’ll stick the lamb in the oven. What can I say? It’s fall.

If anyone thought they saw a post on Matthew chapter 13 on Monday, and the next time they looked, it was gone. Well, you did and then you didn’t. I made the mistake of sleeping on this new insight and lost it. By Monday, I dug and dug and thought I had it. I posted it with some misgiving because I wasn’t sure my understanding was clear enough. When Honey came home, the first thing I had him to do was preview it. Let’s just say, I had missed the mark. I took the post off and then heard one of the best sermons on ‘The Sower’ that I’ve ever heard. I’m hoping that one day when Honey slows down a little, he will write it out so I can include it on Sojourner. I live with one of the greatest preachers I know. But now that the children have all grown up and moved away, he preaches to a congregation of one – me. I reap the wonderful benefits, but I wish so much that others could hear what I hear. One of the main messages he feels should be on the lips of every preacher around the world … Get ready, Jesus is coming back soon!

It makes me so sad to see Christians wander away from God at the very time we should all be hanging on tight. They have lost focus. In our insta-matic world, we don’t want to have to wait for anything – not even God. Instead of watching and waiting for the Lord’s return, we turn on ‘desperate housewives’ and sit like zombies as commercial after trashy commercial bombards our senses. We’re face-lifting, tummy-tucking, and body-waxing our time and money away in an attempt to recapture our youth, instead of helping the needy and exercising our faith. Are we teaching our children to watch and wait? With every toy known to man available, are we giving in to the influences of the world and distracting our kids with stuff? Psst …. Parents, we not only have to give account to the Lord for what we do with our time & resources, but we also are held responsible with how we have raised the children that God has put into our care.

I want to say right up front, I’m not judging. I have made so many mistakes raising my three children that I have absolutely no right to judge others. I wish someone had set me down when they were small and told me these things. Instead I allowed the world, via the media, to dictate what a good mother should do. I was a part of the “ME” generation. According to the world, my children would have grown up scarred for life if the tree at Christmas wasn’t overloaded with presents for each child. If I couldn’t afford it, I was encouraged to charge it! They assured me that I would have 12 months to pay down the credit cards before next Christmas. My children would have grown up to be anti-social and dangerous if they weren’t allowed to have the latest video games, (like all the other kids at school). We were taught that if our children didn’t fit in with the other kids, they would never become well adjusted, productive members of society as adults. Look around. How did my generation do? My generation had to have the finest, fastest, and the most. We were the generation created the term ‘latch-key kid’. Our focus was to pursue a glamorous career of our own, or else our children would be ashamed and shun us in our golden years. If our children were an inconvenience, we left them for our parents to raise. (We were also the generation that celebrated the courts decision on Roe v. Wade.) We were the generation that felt deprived and not only had to have designer clothes for ourselves but our toddlers had to have some too. (Side note here: back when I was small, I had designer clothes – my Mama made them.) We were the generation that never said NO – to ourselves or to our children. We were the generation that turned the churches into country clubs, with so many programs and activities - we left Jesus standing on the curb.

Folks, it’s time to walk away from the world’s teaching that we have embraced for so long and run to God. Get up close and personal with the Creator of all and build a deep and lasting relationship with Him. He is coming back. It will be very soon. And we really don’t want to miss the rapture. I’ve read the book. Things are going to get really ugly and scary around here during the tribulation. If you think it’s hard to be a good Christian now … just wait.

If you don’t believe me, read the book of Revelation, then to more thrills and chills, turn to the writings of Isaiah and the Old Testament prophets. Forget the “Left Behind” books. They are fiction, and child’s play, compared to the real thing. It’s time to turn off the TV, put down the Harry Potter books, and throw away the vulgar magazines. It’s time start looking to God for guidance and stop listening to the promoters of the ‘tickle your ears, feel good gospel’. That ‘tickle your ears’ stuff will get you left behind. It’s time to stop sitting in churches and letting someone entertain us, and start opening the Book for ourselves. If you can’t understand what you’re reading, find the most solid Christian you know and get them to help you understand it. Make no mistake; Jesus is coming back soon. All the warning signs are here. Are you ready?

I told you Honey does some fine preaching – he gets me motivated every time.

I have one other thing to add. Our precious daughter-in-law, Christina, has completed her licensing test … and is now officially an RN. Congratulations Sweetheart! We are so very proud of you! God is going to use you in such a big way as you minister to those in need.

Everyone, have a good night. And may the Lord bless you.

Do You Feel It?

2009-10-01T15:00:00.002-04:00

We woke to cold temperatures this morning. At first glance, the thermometer said low thirties. Honey told me that they were calling for a light snow last night, but I guess we were spared one more day. After awhile it warmed up about five degrees and started raining. I’ll take rain any day.

As Honey was leaving for work this morning, he looked at me intently and asked, “Do you feel it? Do you feel God tugging at you to draw closer to Him?” He went on to say that he has been feeling God pulling him closer. As my writing indicates, my thoughts are on God more & more too. Why do you think that is? Do you feel it?

As we look around, both in our area and in the news from around the nation and the world, we’ve seen the people almost polarizing. God is calling His people to draw into Him. As if we are being gathered and tucked up under His protective wing. I’m not necessarily talking “Christians”, because a lot of people are using the title of Christian that aren’t following Jesus.

Jesus says it so much better than I do,

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? Ant then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-22

Unfortunately, there are lots of folks out there following and teaching a “Christianity-type religion” that doesn’t line up with the true Word of God. I am sad for the ones who follow skewed teaching without knowing any better. It is the responsibility of those that know the truth to teach those who are like lost sheep, following just any shepherd claiming to know the way.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-16

Litmus Test:
* Does the pastor/minister/priest/evangelist teach Salvation through Jesus Christ?
* Do they teach that the Bible is God’s Word, penned by man but inspired by the Holy Spirit?
* Do they teach that Jesus is the Son of God, was born to a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again on the third day?
* Do they teach that after the resurrection Jesus was seen by many witnesses and ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father?
* They don’t leave out the fact that Jesus will return again to gather those who have accepted Him as their Savior, do they?
* Now for the final question – do they teach that Jesus will also return at the end of the tribulation and defeat satan, casting him and all those who follow satan into hell?
If any part of this is missing from the teaching, get as far away from them and their teaching as you can go.

Unfortunately, you can sit under the teaching of a minister for years and never really know where they stand on the truths of God’s Word. If there’s a question about what your church leadership believes – ask them. Don’t be fooled if they give you a watered down version. You need to know exactly what they believe, because it will influence what they teach, both directly and indirectly. We’ve been fooled more than once with skewed teachers … but eventually, the truth became evident. Don’t wait, find out now before the false teaching has time to settle in and mess you up.

I don’t know exactly why I’m feeling so compelled to talk about this so strongly. Some folks probably think that I’m trying to ‘preach’ to them. That’s not my intention. But I feel such a strong need to pass this along. I’ve been really unsettled for awhile now, and sincerely don’t think my spirit is going to get peace until I get it out there. Things are going to get bad very soon, and the time to make a decision for Christ is right now.

Saints, another thing that’s been bothering me is the lack of discipleship. Folks are getting introduced to Jesus, but are left floundering. Tomorrow, I really want to talk with you about Matthew 13, where Jesus explains about “The Sower”. But, this is getting on in length; so I’m going to cut it short. I would like to add one request, and I feel that this is important … there’s more and more talk among the saints about how churches are straying from the Truth. If you know of a church, small group, or home-church that’s teaching God’s complete Word, could you send me the names & locations? Again, I don’t understand the ‘why’, but somehow it’s important. I won’t publish the information unless you want me to. New Christians need to know where to go for sound teaching, and a lot of more mature saints are leaving the churches in droves because of the changes in the teachings. There has got to be churches out there that are teaching the complete Word of God and not just ‘feel good’ religion.

Do you feel it? Do you feel the nudging of the Holy Spirit to draw closer to God? Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Do you hear Him calling?

Have a great day, and may the Lord bless you.

Just Like My Father?

2009-09-29T16:34:00.000-04:00

The sky is overcast with the threat of rain, and the temperature is beginning to drop. Humm … it feels a lot like Fall to me. But that’s OK. There’s a loaf of bread cooling on the counter in the kitchen, and I’m whittling my way through a mountain of laundry. So much went on hold when the water problems started. Now wait a minute – don’t think that we’ve been wearing dirty clothes for a month. I’ll never get the “Suzy Homemaker” Award if that rumor got out. (I probably wouldn’t anyway!) It’s just that this is fall, which means pulling out all the blankets and cold weather clothes to get ready for the season to come. This is the time for preparations. Everywhere you look, farmers are gathering the harvests, firewood is being cut and stacked, and CraigsList is brimming with ‘give-aways’ that folks don’t want to trip over during the winter months and don’t want to pay to dispose of.

For me, the call is to the kitchen. I normally don’t like to cook; but in the fall, my German blood predestines me to make enormous amounts of foods of all kinds. Pies, breads, soups & stews. Cold-weather foods – comfort foods. I talked to Daddy yesterday, and as usual, we were talking food. He’s an old German. He loves food and loves to cook. We compared notes on making preserves and argued over the assorted garden vegetables that are ‘fit to eat’. He taught me the best way to cook dove. When we get on the phone, more often than not we will compare grocery store prices between the north and the south. Want to make an old German sweat? Clean out the pantry. Want to make ‘em panic? Unplug the freezer. I’ve maintained for years that my parents could withstand just about any national emergency for at least three months as long as they were able to keep electricity. Daddy would, however, get depressed because he wouldn’t be able to ‘make his rounds’ at the local grocery store.

Jesus told His disciples, “And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.” Luke 12:29

I suspect that verse was omitted in the German Bible, or else it was written in tiny little print. Mama reminds me frequently how I’m ‘just like my Daddy’. And I guess I am in a lot of ways.

I’ve been thinking. I’ve heard it asked before, but I have to stop and ask myself again, can the world around me see my Father God in me? Am I ‘just like my Father’? Do I seek Him out often enough for guidance and direction? Do I resemble Him in the way I act and talk? Do I try to love the unlovable as He does?

Probably a good question for me to write on a sticky and put on the mirror would be “Can others see my Father in me?” Just some more food for thought.

Have a great day, and may the Lord bless you.

The Gift

2009-09-28T14:42:00.002-04:00

After the rain this past weekend, the colors of autumn are vibrant and almost overwhelming. Fall is still sporadic around New England right now, but we had a frost a few days back, so the season will become more pronounced soon. Our yard is already filling up with leaves. As I was washing dishes a little while ago, two chipmunks were playing chase through the leaves and up and down the old oak tree. Some days, it just feels good to be alive.

As I was busy with chores this morning, my mind was wandering here & there. One thought led to another and I remembered a saying that I grew up hearing a lot, “You never truly appreciate anything unless you have earned it.” There’s an enormous amount of truth to that statement. My parents taught all of us kids that hard work is a good thing. I go through the morning washing, cleaning, and discarding the unnecessary stuff with these thoughts running through my mind. I’ve mentioned in the past that Honey is a ‘collector’. Getting Honey to let go of things often takes a two-handed grip and threats to throw it away when he’s not looking. But there are some things Honey will NOT part with no matter how much I threaten - its gifts that have been given to him. Be it cards, little drawings, or his mug collection, they are HIS. If someone cared enough to choose the gift and give it to him, then he’s not going to let it go without a fight. He carries a little multi-purpose tool that my Mama sent him a few years back with him everyday. If he ever sets it down and misplaces it, he stops all activity in the home until it’s found. The tool has little knife blades, scissors, etc. and is handy. But its value to him is in the fact that Mama gave it to him. He believes in hard work, but to him, a gift freely given with love, is something to be cherished.

I look around at the different ‘religious’ folks across the country, and around the world. They seem awful intent on ‘earning’ something from God. I’m not real sure if they are trying to ‘earn’ salvation or favor. They often try to 'earn' it with rituals. The rituals are sometimes as simple as just being in church on Sunday morning; others are far more complicated. Sometimes my contrary side kicks up, and I want to remind them that they didn’t hop on one foot, turn around twice, and say the alphabet backwards.

Now before anyone starts condemning me for being sacrilegious, take a deep breath and let me finish. I’m a simple person. I look at things a little too basic sometimes; but the way I understand the Gospel (good news), becoming a child of God isn’t that difficult. All He requires of us is that we acknowledge our sins, ask Him to forgive us, and accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 1, 2, 3 … simple. This can be done in the middle of a massive football stadium while attending a revival with thousands of your closest friends, or it can be done in the comfort of your easy chair, with no one there but you and God.

Do we make this process difficult because we feel the need to earn salvation? Surely such a valuable gift can’t come without strings attached. In truth, it didn’t. Jesus’ death on the cross cut the strings. The price isn’t ours to pay now. He paid it for us. When He rose from the grave on the third day, salvation became a gift; one that He gives freely to all that just stretch out their hands to receive it.

In my thinking, people would rather ‘earn’ the gift. That would leave control in their hands. If they ‘earn’ salvation, then it’s on their terms. They don’t have to be broken, they don’t have to turn from their sins, and they can continue living like the devil during the week as long as they perform their rituals on Sunday morning. To me, that thinking is sad. If we can earn salvation, then Jesus died that awful death for nothing. Rituals make light of His sacrifice of love. That’s just tragic. Father God chose the gift, Jesus willingly paid the ultimate price, and it was given with so much love.

Folks, it’s time we stop fighting over whose rituals are more righteous and get our focus back on God. There’s only one way to receive the precious gift of salvation – accept it with a repentant heart; and then turn around and offer it to someone else.

Just a little food for thought. Well, I’d better get back to work.
Have a great day, and may the Lord bless you.

Saturday Pick-Me-Up

2009-09-26T10:16:00.002-04:00

It's going to be a busy day here at the cabin. I just wanted to leave you with a little Saturday pick-me-up.

Have a great day, and may the Lord bless you!

The Harvest

2009-09-25T15:42:00.002-04:00

I stepped out onto the porch this morning and heard it. The sound of Fall. There’s a brisk wind swirling the leaves, the squirrels and chipmunks squabbling over the acorns that are scattered under the oak tree. And the sound that I dread more than any … the lonesome sound of a single goose calling to the others “Hurry up, let’s go!”

Fall is a time of mixed emotions for me. As the beautiful colors appear across the mountains & valleys, I get such a sense of sadness. Amazing isn’t it? To be able to watch God’s most beautiful work, and to feel such a sense of loss.

On the other hand, there’s also a strong sense of urgency. A quickening of the spirit, so to speak. Is it just me? Farmers & gardeners, you feel it too, don’t you? There’s an internal ‘push’ to get the crops in, to gather the harvest, and to get everything buttoned down for the winter that’s ahead. When you look out on your crops, don’t you just see the mighty harvest and think “Will I ever get it harvested in time?” Then, it’s almost as if your adrenaline starts pumping and you go into overdrive. That’s the way I felt when I had a garden. There was excitement to see a harvest ripe for the picking. There wasn’t any time to sit and dwell on the cold winter days ahead … only thoughts of what must be done to get everything in before that first frost. I loved the long days of canning the tomatoes, relish, and pickles. At night, falling into bed so exhausted, but satisfied. While you are in the middle of the ‘gettin’, you think to yourself – yea, this is what it’s all about. This is why you spent the time tilling the soil, planting the seeds, and pulling the weeds. The Harvest.

“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and them cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” John 4:35

This verse always reminds me of West Texas. Fall didn’t bring pretty leaves … it brought cotton. Field after enormous field of white. I used to drive out to Ofen, park along the two-lane road, and just gaze out at the miles and miles of cotton. The cotton boles were split wide open to produce white cotton balls. Large groups of men would work day and night to gather the crops. More often than not, migrant harvesters would be hired to speed the process along.

Saints, can you feel it? Can you feel the season for harvest? Is there a quickening in your spirit? The time for preparing is about over. It’s time to be ready. It’s time to ‘hit the floor running’ as Daddy used to say.

“The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into his harvest.” Luke 10:2

I don’t know about you, but I can see the fields of white. I can feel the rush of adrenaline. Put on your work duds, gather your tools, and get busy. It’s harvest. Hurry up, let's go!

Have a great day, and may the Lord bless you.

Headed Home

2009-09-24T16:28:00.005-04:00

It’s another beautiful day here at the cabin. It sure is nice to see summer finally arrive. In looking around, it seems like almost every region of the United States has been having some really odd weather these past few months. Honey said that this reminds him of the seasons of his youth. Then he added that the winters of his youth would make the snowstorms I’ve seen the past 9 years look like child’s play. At that point I stopped listening. I am just going to enjoy the tremendous weather we are having right now.

I have considered not adding anymore to the accounts of our trip last weekend. I’m sure everyone is starting to think I’ve beat that dead horse about as much as is necessary. But if you can bear with me just one more time, there are a few more thoughts I’d like to share. Besides, I still have a couple of pictures left to show you.

As we got up Sunday morning, we were facing a long day ahead of us. Each with our own thoughts and concerns. But before we started the day, it was time for church. A dear friend had sent us a CD of a teaching by Pastor Anna. We decided that it would be a good time to listen to it. Like so many across the country and even around the world these days, church is often just the two of us, coming to God together. So many think that church is a building that must be attended at pre-determined intervals. I don’t see church as a noun – to me it’s an action verb. Church is something that you do, not a place you attend. The gathering of the saints is for teaching but it's a time for fellowship and encouragement. The Bible tells us that we should gather.Hopefully, one day, we'll find a church home that we can become a part of. Anyway, we listened to the CD together as we drank our coffee in silence. The silence wasn’t out of some ritual. It was because the teaching was so good that we didn’t want to miss anything. The Lord spoke to each of us on so many different levels as we listened. We knew we would have to listen to it at least one more time just to digest it all. (I just heard it again for the second time, and after a page of notes, I still missed stuff.) The teaching talked about the seasons of our lives and committing things to God. She said something that I want to share with you,

“God, you put a vision on the inside of me, and I’m trusting you to fulfill it.” (Pastor Anna in reference to Joseph)

That really stuck with me. Even though there were other parts to the teaching that directly related to me/us, this one statement seems to be to be straight from God to me.

Later as Honey was checking the air in the tires and making sure everything was ready to travel, I sat in the motorhome and wrote down these thoughts,

-This may have been misrepresented to us. The woman may have intended to cheat & lie for a few extra dollars – but God holds the balance sheet. This has been dedicated to Him, and He will use it for His glory. Where He will take us, I don’t know. What our assignments will be, is beyond my understanding right now. But as I sit here, looking around me, I have such a strong sense of peace. God is in control, and we are being called to expand our service to Him.-

The trip home was slow and difficult, but we stopped at a rest area beside Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Honey wanted to get a picture to commemorate our trip. The mountain is known worldwide and the Mt. Washington Hotel below it is probably one of the most photographed hotels in the world. Its grandeur is amazing. From what I understand, it was a place frequented by the upper elite back around the turn of the century. It’s still extremely exclusive. Most folks can only afford to stand beside the highway and take pictures. But, isn't it beautiful with the mountain as a backdrop?

It’s about time to start supper. Have a wonderful day and may the Lord bless you.

Roy

2009-09-23T14:22:00.002-04:00

It’s a nice day here at the cabin. There’s talk of a thunderstorm later and the air is kind of thick & muggy, but a good day none the less. It’s actually warmer outside than inside. I just turned the heat on, so my little downstairs cave is warming up as I type.

Now let’s see, where was I? Oh yes, camp wood. As I told you earlier, the wood had been gathered, loaded, paid for, and we were about ready to leave when my curiosity got the better of me. Years ago I was the youth minister for a little church in my hometown and am always interested in other youth groups.

Now let me sidetrack here just a minute. It all ties together, honest. But have you ever looked at a person, sized them up, and decided that you had them all figured out before you had a chance to get to know them? It was getting a little on the dark side, but with the overhead lights, I had watched Honey and this man talking. He looked to be about 60 or so, built like a man that was used to working outdoors and overall, pretty average. I immediately sized him up to be an average churchman with an average ‘everybody in church on Sunday morning’ type family. You know the type. Just ordinary folk.

Now back to the conversation. As we were getting ready to say goodbye, I asked him about the youth group he helped support. He started off by explaining how he provides them with firewood to sell and how a percentage of his own profits went to their fund. He talked about how with the way the world has gotten, the youth group was a good way to give the kids something better to do with their time. As he talked, I could tell that he was sizing us up as fellow Christians. We each introduced ourselves, and he went on to tell us that he grew up going to church. Just like everyone else. One night he was picking up a car, (indicating that he used to work in the towing profession at some time in his past), and the driver of the car was stumbling down drunk. The following Sunday he was visiting a new church, sat down and was waiting for the service to start, and who should come walking out of the back room but the owner of that beat up car. Seems the drunk driver was the pastor. Roy said that he got up right then and walked out of the building. “You see, I was lookin’ at man and not at God,” he said. “I didn’t go back to church for a long time after that. You can’t look at man. ” He gazed up toward the house and said, “You know, Jackie is my fourth wife.” He went on to tell us that a few years back, he had lost his job and things were going bad at home. He didn’t go into details, and I didn’t ask. But Jackie left him. He said that they were separated for several months and he was living at the house by himself. She was in the process of filing for divorce. Late one night he said God told him “Don’t give up on Jackie.” (I know there are lots of folks, including some preachers that will dispute the if's, how's, and why's of God talking to man. But that’s a conversation for later.) Roy went on to say that when he got the divorce papers, he gave them to his lawyer and said “Here, take them. I’m not going to sign them.” I guess at that point the lawyer questioned him. Roy said that he looked at the lawyer and asked him if he believed in God. The lawyer was a little stunned and said yes. Roy told him that God told him not to give up on Jackie and because of that, he wasn’t going to sign them.

I’ve stated in the past that no one ever comes to the Lord from the mountaintop. We each have to hit bottom and be broken. You don’t cry out for a Savior unless you need saving. That night seems to have been the turning point in Roy’s life. He told us that he first had to get himself straightened out and a few months later, they started again. You know, a man doesn’t have to describe the pits of sin that he had fallen into to show you the love and power of the Savior. The glow on his face said it all. He kept gazing up toward the back door, either waiting to see if his Jackie was going to call him to supper or maybe just to get a glimpse of her in the window. I suspected that just the sight of her was his ever-present reminder of the grace and mercy of God. Then that was it. He was fired up and talking 90 to nothin’ about his Jesus! This wasn’t the standard Sunday morning preaching – oh no, this was the personal testimony of a man who has found the love of God on a personal and very real level! This wasn’t a theology student. Occasionally, he would get to talking so fast that Moses and Noah would switch places in history. It’s like the awesomeness of Jesus’ sacrifice was just bottled up inside him and if given even the slightest opportunity it would overflow and spill out everywhere! This was his love story. He was like that ‘teenager in love’ who couldn’t tell enough people about ‘the love of his life’. The first love of Roy’s life is his Jesus. (and it would be a safe assumption to say that his Jackie was a real close second.)

A new congregation pulled up and it was time for us to leave. As we drove away I thought – ‘this man is SOLID’. He doesn’t just know ‘about’ Jesus … he KNOWS Jesus! The Bible says that when two or more are gathered together in the name of the Lord, there He will be also. Folks, we came away from that place knowing that the Lord was in the midst. We’re talking some real Holy Ghost church right there in that man’s driveway! If anyone happens to be from Maine and knows Roy and Jackie, tell them that the folks from Vermont said hi and that we’ve got them in our prayers.

One final note, in the middle of all of this, Roy had asked the question “what can I do for the Lord?” He had a genuinely puzzled look on his face when he asked.

Everyone, have a great day and May the Lord bless you.

Motorhome

2009-09-22T17:34:00.004-04:00

The trip to Portland takes about 4 hours of pretty steady driving. My stop & go pace is a big part of why a motorhome was our first choice in travel options. We managed to get to the campground early Saturday afternoon. It took awhile to change the plates and check everything out before getting it on the road. Here are some pictures of our ‘first home’. It’s a 1988 Southwind. Don’t laugh. I know it looks plain and tired, but it’s solid and it’s paid for. I suspect that God is going to use it in some pretty amazing ways before it officially retires.

As we started back on the road toward home, we discovered that the nice lady that sold the motorhome to us wasn’t exactly ‘honest’ in her dealings. There were some quirks and issues that she seemed to overlook. One quirk was that one of the windows in the back bedroom was loose. This wouldn’t have been a major deal. We could have just secured it until we got home and fixed it right up. Instead, it fell out in the middle of traffic and shattered into about a million pieces. Thankfully it was a small window. But honesty could have saved us some money and a lot of aggravation – not to mention a cold night’s sleep!

We got back as far as Sabago Maine where we planned to spend the night. There is a wonderful state campground right beside one of prettiest lakes I’ve ever seen. We got there right before dark and let me tell you, the water was the color of sunset and as smooth as glass. The tension and stress of the previous week just melted away.

Honey is a camper. No, let me correct myself – Honey is a hard-core camper! He’s the kind that would load up a backpack and wander into the wilderness. I would like to be, really I would. It’s just that I’ve gotten old, and let’s face it – nature is fun, but when it comes to the basic needs in life … I at least want an outhouse and a place to wash my hands! Spit-bathes will work, until my hair needs washing. Granted, that lake could have gone a long way in helping with the washing up parts – but up here in the Northeast I don’t consider that as an option. A person could go in with good intentions, and come right back out as blue as a smurf. No thank you.(Blue is not my color; it doesn’t go well with my gray hair.) Fortunately, the campground had full facilities! I’ve gotten sidetracked again. Back to Honey. He loves to camp, and one of his favorite parts of camping is the campfire. So after we got everything settled, we took the pickup up the road to get firewood.

Around most camping areas, there are folks who have firewood for sale in their front yard. It is a lucrative side-business that helps supplement the income. Back roads are lined with woodsheds and homegrown businesses. The last time we were up in those parts, we had found a place that shares their proceeds with a local church youth group. We were impressed with that place, so we headed back there Saturday night.

The house we were looking for was ordinary for the area. It was a modular-type home with a wide driveway on the left that goes around a little workshop to a couple of tarped sheds full of wood bundles and old newspaper. The last time we had gone there, no one was home. Unlike most, this man goes on the ‘honor system’, and people just take what they need and put what they owe into metal boxes. It was getting dark as we pulled in, and I noticed a man working in the shop out front. We went ahead and followed the driveway around to the sheds. When Honey got out of the truck, we saw the man walk up. I suspect that when he’s home, he enjoys meeting and greeting the customers. So we all got to talking. He started telling us about how people have been abusing the ‘honor system’ and he had to break down and install video cameras. His tone was one of regret. He helped Honey gather the wood and we visited a bit. All in all, it would have been a pleasant evening if it had ended there … but, I was curious and asked a question … then the fun began.

The focus of this post was to show you the motorhome and to take you down the road a ways to kind of set the stage for our next surprise of the weekend. And as far as we’re concerned, it was probably the highlight of the entire weekend. But, I’m out of space and out of time right now. In the next post, I’ll introduce you to Roy.

Have a great evening, and may the Lord bless you.

2009-09-21T13:46:00.002-04:00

It’s a beautiful day here at the cabin. The nights are getting colder, but the weather couldn’t be much more perfect during the day. Fall is already warmer than summer. Isn’t it funny how that happens sometimes?

This past weekend we were on another road trip. We spent all last summer in search of just the right motorhome, one that would take us South in the winter. A few weeks back, we found it outside of Portland Maine. It was old and needed some tweaking, but it would do nicely. It was paid off last week and by Saturday morning we were on our way. A lot happened on our little two-day trip, so this will have to be written in pieces. First, I wanted to show you a little of the sights along the way to Maine.

These were taken in Northern New Hampshire. One is of a small mountain lake. If the trees look a little blurry, it’s because Honey’s lead foot was pointed east! He kept telling me that if I saw something that I wanted to take a picture of … just tell him, and he would stop. Have you ever tried to stop a freight train on a dime? By the time I would see something wonderful, it would be gone in a split second. He did however stop for the picture of the road going into the mountains. (Honey even took the picture for me.) Bear in mind that we were sitting on one mountain looking down the road. Isn’t God’s work totally amazing!!! In just a few weeks, this will all be a kaleidoscope of color. Unfortunately, the roads, parking areas, etc. will be so full of leaf peepers that the best you can hope for is a shot of the back of someone’s head. You know, people spend an awful lot of time and money traveling up here to get a small glimpse of God’s handiwork. I just wish they ‘knew’ the God who created it all. He has things more awesome than this for us to see and experience.

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."” 1 Corinthians 2:9

Can you imagine how much more beautiful heaven will be?

There were so many occurrences on this trip, that I can’t possibly squeeze them all into one post. I just wanted to give you some pictures of the countryside while I try to get everything sorted out and written down.

Have a great day, and may the Lord bless you.

Things Are Turning Around

2009-09-16T14:27:00.000-04:00

It’s a chilly fall day here at the cabin. After a really rough couple of days, it looks like positive things are beginning to happen. The motorhome has been paid off, and when we get the paperwork today or tomorrow, I’ll go get it registered. Hopefully we’ll be going to Maine this weekend to pick it up and bring it home. That puts us one step closer to the goal. If everything goes as planned, I won’t be dreading winter again this year. I’ve been thinking a lot about family recently, and it sure will be great to see everyone again. It has been so long.

The well people are here and drilling as I write. Honey told me that it would still be a couple of days before we have running water, but we are closer now than we’ve been in a long time. Praise God! I will have to think long and hard before I take such simple conveniences for granted again. I’ve decided that I was born for the here and now. As romantic and adventurous as the pioneer days were, I would have never survived. I need running water, electricity, and the internet! (ok, so maybe I don’t actually NEED the internet, but it sure is nice to have!) I’m spoiled. I know it. And I like it. So many changes have been made in technology since I was a child. Back then the original “Star Trek” was true sci-fi. We couldn’t even imagine a life so ‘automatic’. Now, we look back at that show and realize that in so many ways, we’ve surpassed that lifestyle. I don’t know that the teleport theory will ever become a reality, but I’m sure man will continue to try.

I’m excited to be part of the generation that will see the coming of Christ! It gets spooky to look around and see the book of Revelation coming to life, but Christians have the thrill of the Rapture to look forward to. Some days, it can’t come fast enough. Other days, I think that it would be so good, but there are still people that need to hear about the Lord before it’s too late. It’s sad to know that there are so many that we love who haven’t accepted the Lord as their Savior, and will miss the opportunity of being with the Lord when He returns. I can’t help but wonder – just what is it about this life that is so ‘great’ that it holds more appeal than Jesus? Even without the promise of Heaven, I couldn’t imagine going through this life without the peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Well, I’ve got to get busy. Honey will be home soon. Tonight maybe I’ll cook a real meal and we can celebrate. Have a great evening and May the Lord bless you.

Random Happenings & Thoughts

2009-09-10T17:51:00.001-04:00

It’s been another week of ups & downs here at the cabin. The Labor Day weekend was really nice. We got a few chores done, and spent time just relaxing together. We watched the movie “ The Last Sin Eater” on Sunday. If you haven’t seen it – you need to. The name sounds a little disturbing; but then again, the first five minutes or so of the movie make you wonder just what you got a hold of. The movie will grip you right at the beginning and hang on to you until the end. The description on the movie case was so vague, I got it solely on the fact that it was directed by Michael Landon Jr. By the time it was over, I was really convinced that the man can sure pick ‘em. And for a surprise or two, watch the special features afterward.

We’re still having issues with our water. The stuff never did seem to clear up after they put the new pump in. The well driller was supposed to have been here today, but as late as it is, I guess he’ll be here tomorrow. Clean, running water is truly a blessing I won’t take for granted again.

I got an email earlier from a new friend. She had just read through Mountain Home for the first time and sent the sweetest note. I bring this up only because of a comment she had made. She said that the blog indicated that I seem to be at peace with myself. I wish that were the case. Most days I’m my own worst enemy. Even though God has forgiven me, I still beat up on myself on a regular basis. I would love to fold my hands, stand up tall, and in my most pious voice say that I may not be at peace with myself but I’m at peace with God. If I were to do that, lightening would probably strike me dead. In all truthfulness, I’m one of God’s more challenging children. I fuss when I don’t get my way, often to the point where I can almost hear God talking to my guardian angel,
“Hey angel”
“Yes Sir?”
“Reach over there and smack her upside the head.”
“Are you sure Sir?”
“Yes I’m sure, and tell her that if she doesn’t straighten up, I’m going to do it myself next time.”
“Yes Sir.”

I’m like all children, I want my own way – and I want it in my own time. I can get all ‘spiritual’ when God says yes. I can even get pretty insufferable when He says no, and that’s the answer I wanted to hear. For example, when someone used to asked me to work on a special project at church and I was too tired. Everyone would pray about it, and God would give them a better candidate for the job, (without my help).

Have you ever really wanted something, been told no, and immediately revert back to your teenage personality?

God says “No”
My first words are, “Why not?”
God says “No”
My next response is to whine “It’s not fair!”
God says “No”
I immediately start reminding Him of all the times in my life where I have done even the tiniest good deed. (Is this not the dumbest thing imaginable?! Be honest, you do it too!)
God says “NO, and that’s final.”
I pout, but what can you do at that point? He’s God. I had already pushed way over the line. It’s amazing to me just why He puts up with me.

I guess the most frustrating answer to me is “Maybe or Not yet”. It’s then that I revert all the way back to toddler stage. My Mama had a phrase that describes my behavior to a T – I would literally ‘dingy-dong’ her to death when I was impatient for an answer. I do the same thing to God.

Am I proud of any of this? NO. But at least I’m honest about it. The Bible says to “FEAR THE LORD”. I truly do fear Him. After all, He created spiders & snakes; and I read the Old Testament. I know what happens when He gets angry. But He also made me, twisted sense of humor and all. That is proof positive that He is patient and very forgiving.

There’s a lot about God that I don’t understand. Why He does the things He does in the manner in which He does them is very confusing to me. But, as in the case of Job, it’s not for me to understand. He’s God. The only thing I do understand is when He says that if we come to Him and tell Him that we’re sorry for our sins, He will forgive us. I might have a hard time forgiving myself, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that He has forgiven me. He’s God. He says what He means, and means what He says.

No Christian ever truly outgrows being a ‘child’ of God. We just vary in our own personal stages of childhood. That’s why it makes me laugh when folks start acting all ‘holier than thou’. I’ve tried it, and one good smack from my angel set me straight. Saints, look around you, we’re all just children on the playground called earth. We serve a mighty and awesome God! And yes, He has a sense of humor. He made mankind.

Have a wonderful day, and may the Lord bless you.

The Saga Continues

2009-09-04T17:16:00.001-04:00

Last night Honey and I were sitting on the deck deep in conversation with Bear (the dog) patiently sitting guard beside us. We normally start heading for bed by the time it gets dark; but sometimes we will sacrifice a little sleep time if the conversation is good. Last night, the issues of the day hadn’t been sufficiently hashed out yet, so we were deep in discussion. My chair was facing the back of the house toward the dark mountain and Honey’s was facing the front toward the road. I vaguely remember hearing the sound of a chipmunk in distress over my left shoulder. I thought about trying to find it, but it seemed to be in an area of the yard that is dense with saplings & brush. And the dark would make it impossible to find. As we continued to talk, the thought that the chipmunk’s screech would probably be like a dinner bell to the local coyotes. Almost immediately we all three heard a noise up at the edge of the yard, just inside the shadows of the mountain. Bear barked his ‘stay back’ warning and wagged his tail. Honey went inside for the gun without hesitation, and well my job was to sit and watch the commotion. Like I’ve said before, it just doesn’t seem to occur to me to get in the house when situations such as this come up. Honey was back in a flash, gun in hand, and scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. Bear would listen intently, give off another quick ‘I’m warning you’ bark, and then wag his tail slightly.

I figured that Honey was holding his own OK, so I started focusing on Bear. The behavior seemed oddly familiar. Then it hit me. Bear is about five years old now. Over the years we’ve talked about having him ‘fixed’, but for one reason or another we just never got around to it. He only goes outside when he’s with one of us. It’s very common in our area for people to walk their dogs up and down the dirt road, and whenever a ‘lady’ dog would go by … bear would give his impressive ‘I’m king of this mountain’ bark and wag his tail. Same behavior. While what I think might have been a female coyote was looking for dinner, our little ladies man was flirting. Now doesn’t that beat all? My only real concern was - where was her man?

Summer is quickly coming to an end. There are so many projects that we had planned, but never quite got around to. So it’s going to be a busy weekend here at the cabin. The weatherman promises everything will be dry and warm for the next few days. It’s a three-day weekend, so I’m hoping to see the chore list all checked off by next Tuesday.

Everyone have a wonderful Labor Day weekend! May the Lord bless you.

Blessings

2009-09-02T16:42:00.001-04:00

It’s a beautiful day here at the cabin. The nights and early mornings are a bit chilly lately, but the afternoons are gorgeous. We’re going to enjoy these days while we have them. Honey & his dad put a new pump in the well last weekend. With all their activity, they stirred up the mud inside. So the water has been running a little dirty for the past couple of days. But it’s starting to clear now. Work will begin this next weekend to prepare the area around the well for a drilling crew to come in and re-drill it. I am looking forward to the day when we can use all the water we need and not have to worry about running out or burning up the pump. Life is almost back to normal.

There’s not much news around here lately. I heard from my son & daughter-in-law in North Carolina the other day. God has really blessed their need for work. The company he started working for has increased his hours, and the nursing home she works for is giving her almost more overtime than she can handle. Praise God! They feel that God has really put it on their hearts to share the blessings. They talked to other believers and found that they were all feeling the same call. With the economy in the condition it’s in, there are a lot of folks in their area not doing too well. So, the kids, family, and friends are having a ‘block party’ for the other folks at their apartment complex. Volunteers are coming from everywhere. One man has offered to do all the cooking, another man is providing a sound system, and a band has offered to play. Food will come in from all directions too. Everything will be free. They figure that God gives freely, so they can too. Sometimes I get aggravated with these two for not squeezing every dime. But I suspect my logic is overriding my faith. You can’t out-give God. When He blesses His people, He expects us to in turn bless others. There is a difference between being foolish and being faithful. I’m learning more and more that we truly do serve an awesome God!

My time’s up. Honey will be home soon for supper. Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

Looking Back

2009-08-28T11:33:00.002-04:00

Burrr … it’s getting cold here – again. Fall is in the air. It’s back to sweatshirts and jackets. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t bother to pack them away. I put the blankets back on the bed this morning. Now where did I put that flannel nightgown? Summer was fun – the whole two weeks. The last couple of mornings have been in the 40s with the highs around 70 or so. Even in the heat of the day, the air has a nip to it.

Still no water yet. Honey and his Dad pulled the pump yesterday and found that the motor had burnt up. It could be because the water level got so low that it was trying to suck up sand and dirt, or it could be because the electric surges and outages have finally fried it. That wouldn’t be the first electrical gadget the surges/outages have destroyed. They are hopefully going to have the motor/pump replaced this weekend and we can continue to limp along until the well drillers can get here. Just one more of life’s little challenges.

Awhile back, Tom (over at Christian Farm and Ranchman)wrote a post that has really stuck with me. Actually, to be completely honest, it has nagged at me. It was referenced with the Scripture,

“No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62

As a farmer, he made some good points about how when plowing a field a farmer must keep his focus on what’s ahead, with only an occasional look back; or else he will stray from the course. I had read that particular Scripture many times, but never really understood it. Now it makes sense. Despite my personal longing, I’m not a farmer but the Lord has been showing me how that same lesson applies to me specifically.

Being 40-something, it’s been a long time since I was a kid in school. Actually I often have days where remembering back that far is difficult. So many years have gone by, so much water under the bridge so to speak. Anyone over the age of about two knows that each year brings challenges, adventures, and changes. Sometimes these changes are intentional; sometimes they just happen when we’re not paying attention. Hopefully the result of the change is for the better. I don’t seem to notice the change unless someone points it out or until I run into an old friend or acquaintance.

I’ve recently reconnected with some old friends from high school. Granted, I was far from sainthood back then. Let’s just say that God was working on my conscience, but He hadn’t quiet gotten through to me yet. As life went on and God became real to me, I have changed pretty dramatically. In getting re-acquainted with these folks, I’ve seen more and more how my thinking and priorities have changed.

OK, now for a little pop quiz: When you run into someone from your less than saintly past, do you boldly proclaim your faith and “new personality”, or do you try to just ‘ease’ into the revelation? When the words come to your mouth, do you suddenly clamp your lips shut and have even the slightest hesitation before you proclaim your faith?

Please don’t tell me that it’s just me. I’m bearing my sinful soul here. I am happy to say that the hesitation was only a split second (or two) and then the face of Jesus came to mind. How can I possibly deny my dear Lord? The memory of the cross is so vivid. He paid such a precious price for me. Shame at my hesitation and then joy over yet one more opportunity to proclaim my Jesus!

The Scripture have been proven true for me yet once again. In looking back for more than a glance, I would loose focus on the calling God has on my life. I would eventually be rendered completely ineffective for the Lord. As a self-conscious child, I did things that I knew were wrong just to fit in. I didn’t want to stand out as peculiar. I hid my very ‘weak’ faith for social acceptance. By the grace of God, I’m no longer that girl. In giving my whole life to Him, I have become a new person singing a new song!

This body is no longer able to wear stylish clothes and turn heads – and frankly, I’m thankful. If it were, the temptation to fall back into that old life would be awful strong. Baring the aches and pains of old age, I am grateful to God for the changes in my life (and body).

Well the lights are flickering again. Keep us in your prayers please. It’s electric companies like ours that make terrorists out of ordinarily good, God-fearing people. (government people who monitor the internet, I was just kidding!)

Have a great day, and may the Lord bless you.

Here We Go Again

2009-08-27T07:20:00.006-04:00

This has become a very challenging week here at the cabin. We've been out of water since Monday. Our only supply so far has come in jugs from town. Honey & his Dad are still checking to see just where the problem lies, and are planning to pull the well this evening. But with Honey working so much overtime, the progress is extremely slow so far.

I've been reading "A Hole In Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns. He describes life in 3rd world countries with so much detail that I feel ashamed for my aggitation over such a minor issue. We live very simply; but in comparison, we are as wealthy as kings. So many have so little.

Whenever things start to get me down, I look around for something positive or fun to lighten my mood. A friend sent this link to me. If you have a farmer's heart, or just like a good laugh, follow the link. There are some sheep farmers in the UK that have taken farming to an art form.

When Highlanders get bored with their sheep

Have a wonderful day, and may the Lord bless you.

Life Is An Adventure

2009-08-25T14:58:00.003-04:00

What a beautiful summer day! After the cold, rainy weekend, the tomato plants and I are soaking up the sunshine. If the weather holds, we should have quite a few tomatoes this fall. The bees have been busy and the plants are full of fruit.

It’s been a little crazy around here lately. I’ve decided that boredom is underrated. Saturday we took a very long trip to Maine. Portland doesn’t look that far on the map; but the back roads are slow and in serious need of upkeep. Honey’s folks went with us to look over the potential motor home. His Dad owns one and is quite the expert on what to look for. So they pack their little blue pickup full of necessities, we pack our big blue pickup with necessities and by 7:30 we’re headed down the road. We planned to be there by noon or a little after, inspect the potential purchase, have a bite of lunch and head home. I like the simple life –but there was nothing simple about that trip.

What a time for Hurricane Bill to be sitting off the coast of Maine/Canada. From Vermont to the boarder of Maine the weather was cold and rainy. Travel was slow and uncomfortable. We did make it there by 1:00, a bit saddle sore and tired. The motor home is old and in need of attention. But a lot of elbow grease, a tune up, some tweaking and it’ll be just fine. It’s a little on the small side, but we both agreed that it’d do everything we need it to. We will pick it up in about a month. We could have probably gone to a dealer and bought something newer and fancier, but we work on a cash-only system. The process is slower, but we don’t have to worry about interest and those ‘low monthly payments’.

If we would have turned around and headed home right then, we could have chalked the trip up to a complete success. But that wouldn’t have been any fun. We needed a little adventure to spice up the day! We were all getting really hungry and decided to get some lunch. I was thinking the local Wendy’s. Everyone else was thinking seafood restaurant; after all, we were in Maine. Honey’s parents knew of this wonderful ‘all you can eat’ place just south of Portland. The only catch was that Honey’s Mom refused to drive in Portland, meaning that we had to take a little longer and circle around via back roads. The map showed the route to be pretty simple. That should have been the first clue.

There is a reason ‘committees’ should never be involved in any decision making process. An hour and a half later, we had made a big loop through some of the prettiest back roads Maine has to offer and back on the same road we left. I would have taken pictures. I even had the camera poised and ready to shoot out the window; but between the incredible bumpy dirt roads and the enormous amount of trees along the roads, it just wasn’t possible. Maine folks seem to be really private. Their houses sit back from the roads behind the trees.

The restaurant isn’t something I even care to talk about. There aren’t too many ways a person can describe gross. As it turned out the ‘restaurant’ was a school that taught students to work in places like ‘Dennys’ and ‘Golden Corral’. Let’s just say, the students on duty weren’t in the head of their class.

After eating, we managed to figure out the mysterious road system and were headed home. We were following Honey’s folks this time. His Mom was driving and I was ready to call it a day. As we were cutting around the edge of Portland, it seemed that a group of local thugs took an interest in Honey’s folks. They proceeded to harass them, several times almost causing an accident. When Honey felt it was safe to intervene, I saw him reach for a very dead cell phone. At that point I got the digital camera out of my purse. Even though an inactive cell phone will dial 911, a dead cell phone is for appearances only. I began to take pictures of the truck – particularly the license plate and any identifying marks, (just in case). The camera automatically flashes when the shutter button is pushed. The flash was enough to get the attention of the thugs. (I got a pretty good shot of the driver in his rearview mirror.) As all of us were approaching a big traffic circle, the thug swung left in an attempt to get up beside Honey’s folks and drive them off the road. When he did, Honey moved our 1-ton up between them. The thugs in their jacked up Toyota-style pickup were a little surprised by this. When their driver attempted to move closer, Honey not only didn’t budge, but he began moving left to meet them in the middle. I guess the trucks came within a foot of each other. It’s really neat to be married to a professional driver sometimes. His skill still impresses me. To avoid being put up on the curb themselves, the thugs had nowhere to go but left around the traffic circle. Honey said they were all showing their IQ as they drove away. We think that because of the appearance of calling the law and the pictures taken of their maneuvers, they didn’t want to chance coming back around to bother us any longer. It all happened in just minutes, but it almost seemed like slow motion. Honey is extremely protective and there was no way he was going to let some out of control boys hurt his elderly parents. As it was, his Mom got so rattled she seemed to age 10 years in just a few minutes. His Dad took the wheel and the rest of the trip was just long and tedious. It was after midnight when we got home and boy was I glad to be back!

Sunday morning I noticed that DeAga was missing. Remember my early Saturday morning alarm clock with a terrible greasy spoon voice? Here it is Tuesday and I’ve accepted the fact that she won’t be back. The best we can figure is either a coyote or one of the other wild critters around here must have gotten her. I’m sure it’s probably silly to get so attached to an animal. But she and I had a pretty good thing going. Whenever I would walk into a room, she would start purring. Or she would wait for me to sit down and she would crawl up, perch on my left shoulder, and purr in my ear. She left me with a lot of really wonderful memories, and I’ve been blessed to have had that time with her.

Life is an adventure. Sometimes the roads are rocky and rough, and other times there are green pastures and sunshine. We thank God for the good times, ask Him for wisdom in the trying times, and trust Him in the dark and scary times. But we praise Him all the time.

Have a wonderful day and May the Lord bless you.

What Ifs

2009-08-21T15:07:00.000-04:00

The thunderstorm that we have been waiting for all day has finally arrived. This has been anticipated because of its large size. According to reports, we can count on it being around until sometime tomorrow. It’s been awhile, so the rain is welcome. I sit here listening to the crashing thunder and the heavy rain outside my window. Life is good.

Things have been a bit slow this week. The phone has been strangely quiet. I guess the kids have all been really busy. One called a couple of days ago just to let me know that things are ok with him and his wife. He started his job, after being unemployed since December. He was hoping for more hours, but he’s grateful to just have a job right now. Things will be tight for them; but I trust God to provide – and so do they.

Honey and I are going over to Maine tomorrow to look at yet another motor home. We are both feeling good about this one. I have been off & on questioning God’s will in where we should be this coming winter. One day I’m feeling really positive that He going to allow us to go, and then that little thread of doubt starts sneaking in. Even though all the signs are pointing that way, there is still some fear in walking out in faith. It starts with “What If”.

I have noticed that in the past, all the most fearful times of my life have been centered around “What If”. Thunderstorms used to terrify me – what if … (fill in the blank). When the kids were growing up, the “What Ifs” were the worst. A mother’s fearful mind goes crazy with every new adventure and every illness.

I was looking for a particular Scripture earlier today and happened upon this,

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. James 1:6

That particular verse just about jumped off the page at me. I didn’t have to do a lot of soul searching to see myself in the description. I’ve maintained for a long time that one can never truly arrive when it comes to faith. It is always a process. Just when you think that your faith is big enough to withstand anything … the smallest of things will leave you rocking and rolling on the waves.

I don’t know the mind of God. But I have decided to step out in faith and ask, not questioning or wavering. I’ll accept His decision, yes, no, or not yet, and be content. I feel like a child going to my parents to ask permission. But then, that’s exactly what I am. I’m going to my Father for His permission and His blessing.

Well I’ve got to cut this short. The lightening is messing with the power lines and will probably put me and my computer in the dark very soon.

Have a wonderful day and may the Lord bless you.

Window Shopping

2009-08-17T16:33:00.000-04:00

Summer has finally arrived! It’s been in the 90’s for the past few days and even though it’s a tad on the hot side, it feels wonderful after nine months of cold. Summer got here about the same time as the fall leaves. Some of the trees across New England have started to turn; (about a month early), and the oak tree in the yard has been dropping acorns for several weeks now. But for right now, I’m going to ignore the signs that are pointing to an early fall & possible early winter and just focus on how wonderful the warm summer days feel!

This past weekend Honey and I were window shopping again. Since before work started up in the spring, Honey has been shopping for a motor home. We’ve been living here for over nine years now, and have gotten to go back to see family and friends less than a handful of times. This has really been bugging Honey. Every year we look for a way to go for a visit, and every year something happens, or doesn’t happen, to allow us to leave. This year, we’re hoping to use his winter lay-off to try one more time to make the trip. He has intensified his efforts, prayed without ceasing for God to bless these efforts, and without a doubt would win the ‘Most Obsessive Man of the Year Award’ hands down. For months, when he gets up in the morning he starts his day with Craigslist.com. During the day as he drives his truck, he watches for ‘for sale’ signs all along the way. And at night, he ends his day with craigslist and emails to & from people with RVs for sale.

There’s a whole list of reasons why planes, trains, busses, and the pickup simply aren’t doable; and to travel for the length of time required, it’s necessary to look into motor homes. I’ve learned more about these mammoth beasts than I ever thought possible. I’m learning to spot a leaky seal around a window from 10 feet away; and I’m also learning to listen for the catch in a salesman’s voice, as he/she makes their pitch, that indicates there’s something they are trying to hide. It then becomes a game to see which one of us can spot the discrepancy first. They can’t legally lie about anything concerning their products, but when they put an extreme effort to point out something on the right, it’s a good sign to look left. Often we double-team a salesman. One of us will keep them busy talking while the other one starts digging in to check for soft floors in the bathrooms, water stains around windows and cabinets, and any other signs that the new remodeling job wasn’t just because they got bored with the interior. Two of my least favorite things to do is car shop and house hunt. Combining the two didn’t sit very well with me at first. But over the summer, I’ve started to almost enjoy the game. Maybe it’s because playing the game with Honey makes it fun. It really sets my competitive nature on edge when he finds a flaw that I missed.

I don’t know if God is going to bless our efforts and allow us this trip. I pray He does for so many reasons – not the least of which is because of Honey’s supreme efforts to make this possible for me.

Everyone have a good day. Enjoy the summer while it’s here. And may the Lord bless you.

Saturday Fun

2009-08-10T18:16:00.003-04:00

This past weekend was a busy one here at the cabin. Because Honey had to work Saturday, I kept the pickup to run some errands for him. After giving the windows a little spit-shine so I could see out, I wandered on down to town. The day was warm and beautiful! It was one of those kinds of days where you just felt good to be alive.

There was a bit of a rush to get the truck parts. Most of the good parts places around here close at noon on Saturdays, so I decided to head for the most important place first. We needed a plug for the truck’s headlight. A couple of nice officers had pointed this out to Honey, and encourage him to get right on it.

The plug is usually a dealer only part, and the chances of finding a GM (Government Motors) parts department open on Saturday was slim to none. But I figured I’d give it a try.

Goodness gracious, when I pulled into the dealership two salesmen about fell all over themselves to meet me at the pickup before I even came to a complete stop! By the time I turned off the ignition, they had already assessed my ride and was offering me a used pickup that was sure to be just what I needed. Now granted, our pickup is old and has some unique quirks – like a broken door handle on the driver’s side. (To open the driver’s door, we have to roll the window down and reach out to open it from the outside.) I don’t normally give it a lot of thought. But I could tell by the way those two fellas were pushing that Chevy truck on me, they had noticed. They informed me that the parts department wasn’t open, but one even offered to look under the hood to see if he could do something. I thought ‘now isn’t that nice!’ I knew he couldn’t do anything, but I popped the hood just to see how far he’d go to try and get a sale. Isn’t that awful of me? I guess I was in one of those funny moods or something. I didn’t want a new truck. I told him that I didn’t want a new truck. But, bless his heart, he was going to sell me a new truck.

The young man looked under the hood, assessed the engine, and told me that he couldn’t get to the plug. But, nothing doing, I needed to come on inside and he’d give me some information about that new truck. By that time, I was feeling a little sorry for the guy, so I went inside and let him put the information on the back of his business card.

As I sat at his desk located on the showroom floor, I watched several of the other salesmen try to move a Corvette outside to put on the showcase ramp out front. The Vet was beautiful! But just so happens, it wouldn’t start. I almost started laughing when they opened the hood to charge the battery, and the battery wasn’t there. They were scratching their heads while my young salesman was calling over to them to tell them that the battery was in the trunk. They ignored him and continued to prod around to find the battery. My salesman finally gave up and let them figure it out on their own. It was easy to see that being new, and young to boot, didn’t give him a lot of respect in their little group. Right then I decided that if Honey wanted to buy that Chevy truck – I’d make real sure this salesman was going to get credit for the sale.

As it turned out, Honey did go by and take a real hard look at the truck, but decided that we’re not willing to acquire any more debt, especially for a truck that was older than ours. We still have a couple of small business loans that we’re trying to pay off, and our goal it to become completely debt free. I do give those folks credit though – that new paint job on the old truck sure looked sharp!

While I was talking with the salesman, I brought up the “Cash for Clunkers” program that everyone is talking about. Honey’s folks had told us that down in Claremont the dealerships were taking in these used cars that were newer than anything we drive and smashing them up – right there at the dealership! Perfectly good cars & truck were being destroyed! I told the salesman what I had heard and asked him if his dealership participated in the program. He said yes, and went on to tell me that the cars that are traded in HAVE to be demolished because that is the requirement of the government.

How is it that perfectly good vehicles were being demolished while they were trying to pawn off a pickup that was full of bond-o and given a shinny new paint job? The “Clunkers” were newer and more cost effective than the used stuff they were trying to sell! I guess that’s our government at work. Waste! When you have a little time, drive over to a local dealership that’s doing the “Cash for Clunkers” program and see our government waste program in action. Just when you think there may be some hope for our country – you crawl out from under the bed and see this! And we’re supposed to trust them with our medical care???

Ya’ll have a good day, and may the Lord bless you.

Special Day

2009-08-06T12:39:00.000-04:00

It’s a beautiful summer day here at the cabin. Short sleeves and open windows are the order of the day. I feel a storm coming, but right now it doesn’t get much more perfect than this.

Today is a very special day, and if you will indulge me, I have something important to say.

Happy Birthday Honey. I probably shouldn’t be telling folks, but turning 50 is special. You’ve weathered the storms in life, raised two beautiful daughters, and helped raise a son. You’ve taught them all to honor and love the Lord, and to work hard for everything they get. You are as protective as an old bear; but those that know you best have seen the tender compassion of a man who knows the pains in life, and one who wants to protect others from following that same path. You are honest to a fault, but have the wisdom not speak if the truth would hurt. You’ve been my better half, putting up with my craziness in a way that most people wouldn’t. You’re my rock and the absolute love of my life. I’m blessed beyond measure. I love you.

Everyone, have a great day & may the Lord bless you.

'Tis The Season To Shop!

2009-07-31T10:25:00.001-04:00

Good morning!

It’s raining here at the cabin – again. But I don’t mind it so bad today. Summer has finally arrived! We’ve had a week of warm, sometimes sunny, days with bees and open windows. This probably sounds strange to the folks living in the normal world, but this has been the coldest & wettest summer I’ve seen since I’ve been here. I was thinking earlier that I’m sure glad all this precipitation isn’t snow. If it were, we’d be buried so deep that we’d never dig our way out. I guess I’d better watch saying that 4-letter word out loud. With the crazy weather patterns we’ve been having, just about anything is possible these days.

There hasn’t been a whole lot going on around here lately. Honey has been working as much overtime as he can get right now. When he gets laid off this winter, his unemployment will be based on these earnings. I guess we live in a world of extremes – hardly ever seeing each other in the summer and tripping over each other in the winter.

He came in the other day all excited. Despite my best efforts to stand in front of the calendar when he walks by, he informed me with entirely too much enthusiasm that hunting season will be here soon! That probably wouldn’t have worried me, but he was waving a sporting goods catalog when he said it. Women who live with hunters and/or gun enthusiasts understand this need for concern.

In the spirit of wanting to get ‘into’ this mindset of his, I started thumbing through his catalog. Oh my! Did you ladies know that there are things in there for us too? Granted our section consists of about two pages; but we can get a really neat set of 12 white terry towels for only $19.97. That’s a real bargain. Or maybe a door frame fan that’s shaped like a spider web. It is supposed to circulate the air from room to room. The concept is good, but would you want anything that looks like a spider web in your home? I have been battling spiders so much lately that it’s starting to affect my dreams.

This catalog is not for ‘girlie girls’. There is nothing pink, and ruffles have been completely left out. What started my in-depth search through the catalog was the offer of a 6-piece cast iron cookware set on page 78. Not bad for $69.97; and the natural cedar log bed would really fit the rustic cabin look that I’ve been working on. So maybe we can compromise on this hunting thing after all. He can have a new camo wardrobe, complete with the camo long johns, (There’s a question here that I dare not ask), and all the ammo he can shoot, and I’ll take new furniture, deer head slipcovers, and cookware. Isn’t this togetherness thing fun?

Well it’s time to get back to work. Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

Live Like You Were Dying

2009-07-27T07:23:00.001-04:00

It’s been a difficult week here at the cabin. The weather has been as fickle as ever and has been a real challenge for me. But God is good and I’m still pushing on.

Just a little update on Honey’s brother-in-law. Last Thursday the doctors went in and removed the brain tumor. The surgery went well. But the surgeon’s preliminary prognosis was that the tumor appeared cancerous and the cancer seemed to be the most aggressive kind. There’s another doctor’s appointment scheduled for tomorrow. They should have the official prognosis and treatment options. He was released on Saturday. We got a call that evening from Honey’s sister. Apparently Allan got home and immediately went out to the barn to check on things. This is so understandable, he’s a farmer. But with the surgical wound still fresh, the bacteria in the barn could cause a whole new set of complications. Honey immediately called him and kept him on the phone until they were both worn out from talking. Yesterday we went up to see them. Honey took him some movies to hopefully keep him occupied when that restless farmer spirit got to be too much. One of the movies was “Faith Like Potatoes”. We talked very graphically about staph infections and such; and as we were pulling out of their driveway – he was ambling right back into the barn. His son was out there standing guard, so I feel pretty sure Allan was going to get turned back around and ushered to the house. Please keep him in your prayers. According to Allan’s mother, who used to be an RN, and who lost her own dear husband to a similar type of cancer … things don’t look good. God is in control. He can heal the body, or He may choose to take Allan home. It’s completely up to Him. Our focus is on God’s sovereign will and to help Allan and his wife through this journey.

As you can see, family issues have taken up a lot of our time. Any time life and death issues come to the forefront; there are a lot of discussions about the things of God. I guess that’s very natural. Every person alive has their own set of beliefs about God and death. Through all of this I’ve found that my thinking is a whole lot different than most. For one, I don’t fear death personally, nor do I understand how other Christians would. A person who doesn’t have Christ as their Savior has plenty to be afraid of, but Christians have the absolute knowledge that death is merely a doorway to their Lord and their heavenly home.

Most of the time we don’t know how many times God has intervened on our behalf to keep us from death. Occasionally we’ll have a circumstance where we breathe a deep sigh of relief because of a ‘near miss’. But let me ask you a question – if you were told today that you had only six months to live, what would you do? Would you change any part of your life, knowing that it would soon be over? I’ve given this some thought. For the most part, I wouldn’t change a thing. I feel that I’m doing what God has called me to do, I try each day to let those around me know just how much I love them, and I try very hard to stay as close to God as I can. The only thing I would do differently is take a long trip south to see my family and make sure they all know just how special they are to me and how much they have blessed my life. By the way, we have been planning that very trip for months. Prayerfully we will be able to go at the end of Honey’s work season this year. Why wait for death? I’m just plain homesick.

There’s a country song that says it all – “Live like you were dying”. Tomorrow is promised to no one. We plan for a tomorrow, but live each day like it’ll be the last one. God numbers our days and when He says “Come home”, we go. We are merely sojourners on this earth. Like the old cartoon says – just passing through. When it’s time to walk through that final door, I want to go without any unfinished business and few regrets. Take my advice, get close to the Lord and live like you were dying.

Have a good day and may the Lord bless you.

Praying For Others

2009-07-22T13:54:00.003-04:00

Good morning. It’s another wet day here at the cabin. For all those who are missing the rain, I’m afraid we took it. Feel free to come get it back. I sure wish I could send it your way. We’re starting to grow web-feet.

For awhile I’ve had some stuff dogging my thoughts. I’d like to share a little of it today. First of all, I am asking for some prayer warriors to step up and help. A couple of months ago Honey’s brother-in-law had a minor stroke. Amazingly he came through it with no side-effects. Unfortunately the way-ward saint continued along his way. Yesterday we learned that he had been suffering from headaches and went to the doctor. After an MRI they told him that he has a brain tumor. He was rushed to Dartmouth-Hitchcock hospital in NH. They were doing tests the last I heard. The tumor appears to be about the size of a golf ball, and they are worried because it developed in just two months. Please hold Allan up in your prayers.

Allan is just one person on my personal prayer list. So many are hurting, so many have circumstances in their lives that need help and healing. My youngest son is still looking for work after 7 months. The list goes on. How about you? Are there areas in your life that you need God’s intervention and help? Would it give you comfort to know that others are going to the Lord specifically on your behalf? I know it does me. To be praying with Honey and hear him mention my name in his prayers make my heart want to sing! I know Honey loves me; but to actually hear him talk to the Lord about me is so precious.

God hears us when we pray. For those that don’t know Jesus as their Savior, God hears the prayer for salvation. For those that are burdened and in pain, God hears our pleas for help and healing. But we can’t just stop there. Intercessory prayer isn’t just a nice thing to do. The Bible has a lot of Scriptures telling us to pray for others. I’m not talking about the quick “Lord, bless them.” The quick ‘on the run’ prayers are good; but God wants us to include the prayers for others in our quiet time with Him as well.

There was an older man in a church where we used to attend. When it came time for prayer requests, he told us about a time when he was out of work and needed a job. He would pray almost without ceasing. This went on for quite a while. Then this man learned of another man in town who also needed a job. This dear saint decided to stop praying for his own needs and began praying for this other fellow instead. As it turned out, it wasn’t any time at all that they both were actively employed. The first man ended up getting a job that was better than he had expected. Now we don’t pray for others in hopes of getting blessings for ourselves. This isn’t a magic formula, nor is God our genie. God is sovereign and He knows our hearts. When we can put aside our own wants and needs God is truly moved to compassion.

“They that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.” Psalm
9:12

By the way, I know a lot of you personally, and pray for you often. If others need prayer, I would love to add you to my prayer list. (I don’t need details … just a name. The Lord knows you and your circumstances.) In praying for each other, we truly become a family of God.

Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

Meet The Issacs

2009-07-19T06:49:00.002-04:00

It’s been a busy week here at the cabin. The weather has been as fickle as a teenage girl. One day it was so cold that I had to turn the heat on, and then the next was so hot & muggy the A/C was calling my name. Here it is the middle of July, and summer still hasn’t arrived. It’s looking like we might miss it again this year. But on a good note, my tomato and cucumber plants out on the deck are taking shape. The one day where the weather was warm enough for the bees to be active, one lone bumblebee got busy and spread some happiness. Of the 30 tomato plants & 8 or so cucumber plants, I’m beginning to see pea-size fruit appear. Now if it will just stay warm long enough – we should have tomatoes and cucumbers to pass around and hopefully some to can.

Today there is so much going through my head. Have you ever had one of those times where your mind is full of so many different thoughts that you simply have to take time to sort them all out before you can really focus on any one? What I’m needing more than anything right now is just some alone time with God. The old timers call it ‘praying though’. You just get alone with God and pray until you get peace and He gives you answers. So, I’m going to introduce you to my favorite group of all time and let them share God’s love with you. I’ll be back in a day or so when God & I take a break from talking.

Have a wonderful Lord’s day, and May the Lord bless you.

Lessons Learned

2009-07-13T13:53:00.004-04:00

I'm sure everyone has had situations where they wished they would have known the outcome before they proceeded down an unknown path. Let me explain. I'm an old fashion girl. Just because something is new and fancy doesn't mean I have to have it. I am pretty content sticking with the things I'm used to and comfortable with. Well last week I found a website that I absolutely had to get into. I signed up and was all excited about seeing how this website was going to enhance my life. As soon as I put my information on the site and started to customize my little spot, I had to sign off for a couple of hours. When I tried to sign back in - the site didn't work. That was great. It had all my information and then wouldn't let me back in! To say that I became frustrated was an understatement. I proceeded to email the technology specialists - again and again. They were very nice and helpful. The only solution they could unanimously come up with is that I needed to upgrade my browser. I have a real love/hate relationship with technology. I was comfortable with Internet Explorer 6.0. We became friends when I got my computer and I didn't see any need to replace it. Instead I tried everything I could think of to accomplish my goals without upgrading. I hate the whole upgrade process. It takes forever and to me it seemed senseless. My internet service doesn't require me to use IE, so I don't. Why should I have to upgrade it?

After the frustration became too much, I decided that OK, I would give in and upgrade. What was the big deal? I never use it anyway. So after spending several hours upgrading this morning, it's finally complete, (and YES, I can access the desired site and now my life will be forever changed because if it). What they failed to mention that in upgrading to Internet Explorer 9, I would loose access to ALL my links on my original sign on page. These were my favorites! These were the places that I would go to be entertained, educated, comforted, and spiritually fed. These were the places that I can't go back to because I didn't write down the addresses before I upgraded.

Isn't that the way life seems to be? We make decisions before we know all the facts and all the consequences. It's sad really, that I'm not the only one who jumps into situations 'half-cocked' and don't realize that even though the new & improved might make my life better - I should still be cautious and wary.

I have identified this weakness in me and have spent almost 30 years teaching (some could call it nagging) my kids to "look before you leap". Just ask them. I have stressed the word caution until the mere sound of it makes their eyes glaze over and their phones loose battery time. "yea, sure Mom, hey listen, my battery is running low. I've got to go. I'll talk to you later. Love ya." has been their usual response.

I'll do what I can to adjust to my new environment and in time I can probably hunt & peck until I relocate my old haunts. But just do me a favor, don't tell my kids that I've done the very thing I keep harping on them not to do.

Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

Just Thinking

2009-07-12T08:15:00.003-04:00

There's not much to report today. Everything has been pretty settled around here this week. I've been having headaches with my internet. Modern technology - a real love/hate relationship!

We went down to see the grandchildren yesterday. It was so much fun! They just grow like weeds, and at 3 & 6, the changes are constant. I took lots of pictures of Papa Bear with his little darlings, but for safety reasons, I can't post them. It's a shame that the world has gotten this way. Little kids just aren't safe anymore. It seems like innocence is constantly under attack.

I've been catching up with friends and doing some looking around the net during the early hours. Tom, over at Christian Farm & Ranchman, is all fired up and has some powerful things to say in his July 9th article. Stop by and get yourself energized. Along the same thinking, there's a new devotional over at Sojourner2Heaven that should get alot of folks thinking.

I guess the thought that just keeps going through my mind these days is - are we truly serious about following Jesus?

Today is a good day to get alone with God and examine my heart. Am I doing ALL that I can to serve the Lord and minister to others? Is my walk with Christ close and personal, or am I just giving lip-service to His name? I hear people say "There's not much I can do. I just try to live a good life." Is living a good life enough?

Being a good person won't get me into heaven. Accepting Jesus as my Savior and truly LIVING for Him is the key, not only for my salvation, but also for the joy that comes with reaching out to others for Him. Are we in love with Christ? Or are we just grateful for the 'fire insurance' that He has provided? When we accepted Christ as our Saviour, did we sign on as His willing servant, or did we reach out to Him solely for what we can get out of it?

I've got alot of mixed emotions about all this. Partly, I'm frustrated to see so many folks that call themselves Christians who are living this life only for themselves. How will it benefit them? Sunday morning Christianity is good enough. Is that truly a love relationship? It sounds more like a dead marriage to me. My other thinking is that I'm excited. I am starting to see some real fire in the Christians that have truly sold out for the Lord. There's a fellow down in North Carolina who was burning up with the desire to do more for the Lord. He started an IHOP (International House Of Prayer) in his community. I'll talk more about him at a later time. He's got an amazing story to tell. And there are a few others. But which side of the fence are we going to fall on? The time for fence sitting is over. Are we going to completely give ourselves to the Lord, or are we going to follow Him in name only?

Times up. Honey just woke up and needs his coffee. But I encourage you to join me today in self-examination. The Lord is coming back very soon for His people. Are we going to be ready to stand in His presence and give an account for all that we've done? More importantly - all that we haven't done?

Have a good day and may the Lord bless you.

4th of July Weekend

2009-07-07T13:15:00.002-04:00

The weekend is over and I’m getting back on track. Honey ran us all over the country Friday & Saturday. We had fun; but by Sunday, I was exhausted. We went down to Southern New Hampshire on Friday.

Honey was window shopping again. The traffic was terrible, so we ended up on the back roads. The going is much slower, but peaceful. I guess the city folks from Boston & New York only know interstates. I’m glad. Those folks are terrible drivers! They come to the country to get away from traffic, then bring their big-city driving (and most of their neighbors) with them. We drove by one of the big lakes in the area on the way home. The lake stopped being open to the general public when someone bought up all the land around it, built rental houses (mansions in my opinion), and leased them out to the city folks. It’s funny, the rich city folks come to the lakes in mass for quiet time, sit on the edge of the lake shoulder to shoulder with other city folks, and call it getting back to nature. I’ve lived in cities that weren’t as crowded as that lake area was. This country girl just gawked at what these rich folks call getting away from it all.

On the way back home we stopped at a little country store. I asked Honey to take a picture of the sign while I went in search of the facilities. As you can see, Honey has a twisted sense of humor. I didn’t buy food there – only a soda.

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. It was truly a good day to remember the ones who have served and are currently serving to make this country great. Let’s keep them all in our prayers.

I’ve got to get back to work. The fellow is coming today to pick up that old truck and I’m planning a celebration of leftover pork roast, potato salad, and green beans. It may not sound like a celebration meal to you; but in my opinion, something’s are just better the second time around.

Have a wonderful day, and may the Lord bless you!

Enlarged Territories & Running the Race with Endurance

2009-07-01T12:38:00.005-04:00

I’m a reader – let me rephrase that: I’m an avid reader. When I was young, I could absorb books one right after another. Fiction, non-fiction, informational, fantasy … you name it. Over the years, my illness has tried to rob me of the ability to read & comprehend. But even though it has become difficult for me to read for any length of time, I keep pecking away at a good book until I finally master it. It’s like climbing a mountain – one step at a time.

I started reading “The Hole in our Gospel” by Richard Stearns a couple of days ago. On page 40 he mentions something that had been gnawing at me for quite a while now.

“The Prayer Of Jabez Revisited

… A few years ago, when the phenomenal book The Prayer of Jabez was published, I was eager to read it to see what everyone was talking about. The book is based on an obscure prayer found in the middle of a long section of genealogies in 1 Chronicles 4: “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain” (vv.9-10).

The gist of the book was that if we would truly pray for God to bless us in this way, to be used by Him for the kingdom, good things would happen – God would “enlarge our territory,” and we would be able to serve Him in a deeper and expanded way. Nothing wrong with that. But many who read the book interpreted it differently. Their understanding was that God intends to bless us with things, such as career success, financial gains, and other outward signs of prosperity – all we have to do is ask. For many, in fact, the book became a celebration of the “prosperity gospel” – the belief that God rewards faithful and sincere Christians with success, good health, and material prosperity.

But wait, I remember thinking. If we truly pray for God to “enlarge our territory,” does it follow that He will always bless us in ways that bring happiness, fulfillment, and material blessings? What about that verse about taking up our cross daily, or the one about dying to self? Look at the apostle Paul. Talk about having your territory enlarged! God made him Apostle to the Gentiles, used him to write half of the New Testament and to build and strengthen the early church in astounding ways – but it sure didn’t result in a life of “sugar and spice and everything nice.”

True. Listen to what really happened to Paul when God expanded his territory:

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. (2Cor. 11:23-27)

We might want to think twice before we ask God for that
kind of blessing. The Bible is replete with those God used to do His will but who paid a great price. Ten of the twelve disciples died as martyrs for their faith. John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod. Isaiah was sawed in two. Over the centuries millions have been martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ, and many others have been afflicted. Joni Eareckson Tada, who now ministers to thousands, began her greatest ministry after her territory was enlarged – by a diving accident that paralyzed her. Chuck Colson, dynamic Christian speaker and founder of Prison Fellowship, got his “enlarged territory” only after he was convicted and sent to prison for crimes he committed during the Watergate scandal. Thousands of missionaries have lived difficult lives of sacrifice in relative poverty and deprivation as God expanded their work and ministries in the places where they served. God doesn’t promise that all of His followers will be protected from hardship and suffering. Christians get cancer, lose loved ones, and suffer financial setbacks just like everyone else. But God can also use our tragedies to expand our territory in ways that show a skeptical world a different way to live.” - Richard Stearns, (Thomas Nelson Publishing)

As I mentioned this has been gnawing at me for awhile now. Let me explain why. I try not to talk about my illness here as a rule. My illness doesn’t define who I am, nor is it the focus of my life. It’s just something that has to be dealt with and overcome on a daily basis. When I do mention it, it’s to help explain an issue or to make a point.

But ever since it began, I have had Christian loved ones quote Scriptures on healing, send books & tapes about faith, and sometimes admonish me for not ‘believing’ strongly enough. Believe me, I have tried it all. Despite my best efforts, I never once felt God telling me that I would be healed by following these formulas. Yes, God does heal. I firmly believe that with all my heart … but not always in this lifetime. For whatever reason, this is my circumstance for however long the season. It’s my responsibility to serve Him in spite of the circumstances. When I read this, I literally praised God (loudly) that someone has finally has been able to put words to what I’ve known in my spirit all these years.

I know others are going through physical, mental, and emotional afflictions too. I also know that they have questioned their own faith because they too haven’t been healed despite their own crying, begging, pleading, and sometimes bargaining with God. God doesn’t always bless His faithful with good health; and listen to me closely – illness is not punishment for lack of faith and/or obedience! It is merely a byproduct of living in a sinful world. It is up to us to step outside of our circumstances and serve God with a strength and determination that can only come from Him. I praise God because HE IS IN CONTROL and HE LIFTS ME UP WHEN I CAN’T DO IT ON MY OWN!

Be encouraged by the tremendous insight that God gave to Richard Stearns. We serve an awesome God! Remember, our life here in the earth isn’t about us – it’s all about glorifying our eternal Father in heaven and leading others to a relationship with Him. When we, as sojourners, finally make it to our eternal home – all pain, suffering, and tears will be forever wiped away! Paul refers to this life as a race. It’s not a race of speed. It’s a race of endurance. That will be my prize. That will be my reward. Another day, another mile … I can wait. Praise God!

Have a wonderful day and May the Lord bless you!

What A Weekend!

2009-06-29T08:05:00.007-04:00

First of all, a warm hello & thank you to the folks who have contacted me recently. Your kind words are like rays of sunshine on a cloudly day.

Speaking of cloudy days. It's raining here at the cabin. It started before I got up at 3:30 this morning. This is one of those slow soaking rains that we've been needing so badly. The weather has been teasing us for some time now. I checked on the tomato & cucumber plants this morning, and their leaves appear to be stretching up to heaven to receive the blessing from God.

We've had a busy weekend. Saturday, Honey & I took a road trip down to southern New Hampshire and stopped in Claremont to visit the kids & grandkids on the way home. Monica is officially my step daughter; but I never have liked that term. Maybe it's because the old Disney movies created a stigma with their 'evil step mother'/'unwelcome step child' inferences. I don't see her as my step daughter - she's my friend. (Her husband's pretty awesome too!) It was so much fun to watch Honey sitting in their living room strumming a little pink guitar. He was giving the oldest granddaughter a mini guitar lesson. She is so inquisitive and is always eager to learn new things. So when her 'Papa Bear' showed up, out came the guitar. The youngest granddaughter kept introducing us to her cat. The youngest, being shy, is a girl of few words. So she would wag that dear, patient cat(that's almost as big as she is)back and forth to each of us. Watching their personalities develop as they grow is such a blessing. You know, little folks have a way of keeping you young. When we headed home, there was a strong resolve to make that trip more often.

Yesterday afternoon I made some bread & peanut butter cookies to get ready for the coming week, while Honey and his dad were having misadventures outside moving an old pickup down the driveway. Honey bought the old clunker a few years back in hopes of 'fixing it up' to use as a work truck. Due to lack of time, (and lack of enthusiasm), progress had been slow. I never have liked having that old truck, so I was thrilled when Honey finally decided to sell it. After several months on craigs list, he thinks he has a buyer. All they had to do was drag that old thing down the driveway so the buyer can load it when/if he comes by this week.

The top of the driveway is almost flat; but it starts sloping pretty quick, and the way down is steep. Honey was pulling with his truck, and his dad was steering the other. Honey took the chain off his truck so he could turn it around, re-hook, and ease the junk truck down the driveway. Did I mention the junk truck doesn't have breaks? Before Honey could get to the bottom, turn around, and reposition his truck, he looked in his mirror and saw the junk truck and his dad come flying down the drive. I was up to my elbows in bread dough when I heard the crash. His dad did a pretty good job at manuvering that old truck. He barely missed Honey's truck, his wife's car, and a shed before he crashed into an old wooden boat that was being stored at the bottom of the driveway, (the SS Minnow is his 'gonna fix one day' project.)Amazing enough the junk truck came through without a scratch, the old wooden boat only had a dent; and by the time I could get outside, they were coming around the house laughing like a couple of kids. The took great joy in recounting the story for me - several times. All I can say is, the Good Lord watches over these crazy mountain men. When they get together, you never know what will happen next. Who needs TV & entertainment centers? We make our own fun.

It's time to get back to work. Have a great day, and

May the Lord bless you.

Nurturing

2009-06-24T09:52:00.002-04:00

What a beautiful day! It’s almost acting like it might turn into summer before long. The clouds just seem to be hanging overhead again; but the air is warm and just maybe the sun will break through before today is over.

Honey has been having a difficult time at work lately, so I made a carrot cake to go with the roasted chicken, potatoes & carrots for supper last night. With a loaf of bread cooling in the kitchen, a carrot cake on the table, and I my hands deep into dishwater, I got to thinking. I’m a true blue Southern woman. Maybe it’s true for women everywhere, but in the south, whenever someone is having a hard time, the first thoughts are ‘What can I fix?’ For example: A child’s skinned knee requires pudding or jello; A broken heart demands anything chocolate; and a wounded spirit needs a favorite meal, including dessert.

Years ago when I was a young woman, we had an elderly neighbor lady. Her name was Ms. Daisy. Ms. Daisy was well into her eighties at the time and was fond of telling me that the last auto she had driven had been her Daddy’s old chain-driven truck. Her husband had taken off and left her to raise three children alone. In her youth, she would walk everywhere she went in our small town, often pulling one of the kids in a little red wagon. Life was hard for her, but she never had so little that she couldn’t find some to share with someone in need. Her failing health had made it difficult for her to get out and about without assistance; so during the time that we were neighbors, I would enjoy taking her on excursions. Whenever someone in town passed away, I would get a phone call, “Honey, could you taken me to pick up some fried chicken to take to the family?” For almost seven years, we carted fried chicken to most of the households in that little town.

I’m not sure if I completely understand it, but deep within a woman is a need to nurture; and where I come from – cooking isn’t just a necessity for survival, it’s a form of nurturing. Just try to sneak in & out of the hospital and often you will come home to a kitchen filled with love offerings from the women in your life. I can testify to this. I’ve gotten delicious meals from women I didn’t even know.

As I look around our community and around the country, nurturing & kindness seems to be going by way of the old chain driven trucks. The gift of nurturing is passed down from one generation to another. I've had some wonderful teachers in my lifetime. Mamas teach your daughters to nurture, whether it be with food, flowers, or a patient listening ear. I truly believe that if we had only one prayer answered each day, it would be, "Lord please help me ease the burden and make life better for one person today."

Have a wonderful day & may the Lord bless you.

Brownies

2009-06-22T15:32:00.001-04:00

It’s a busy day here at the cabin. I spent a big part of the morning in the kitchen fixin’ up breakfast sandwiches for Honey. Some people can jump right out of bed in the morning, bright-eyed, and ready to start the day. I have never been like that. On my best days, my eyes don’t open until coffee is served. My family has learned that if they want breakfast, I have to be up for at least a couple of hours before it is safe for me to be in the kitchen.

I can’t bring myself to buy the frozen ‘instant’ heat & eat breakfast foods in the grocery store, McDonald’s is too expensive (and completely unhealthy), and Honey leaves for work at 5:30 every morning. We hit on a healthier solution a few years back. I make biscuits from scratch, add (cooked) sausage patties, cheese and then freeze individually. A minute in the microwave and breakfast is served! On the weekends, Honey sleeps in and then gets a “real” breakfast.

Speaking of cooking, here’s a brownie recipe that is sure to be a hit with all chocolate lovers! They’re rich, they’re chocolate, and they’re really good. It only takes a very few minutes to whip them up. I use these brownies when I make DEATH BY CHOCOLATE for special occasions. If the fact that there is more sugar than flour in the recipe is a deterrent, just remember that a year or so back, the medical folks were telling everyone how good cocoa is for you. I’m sure that somewhere in the rule book, cocoa in large quantities cancels out sugar. Right? Besides, if you make them when company is supposed to come by – they’ll be gone before you know it and the temptation to over-indulge will be eliminated.

Ultimate Brownies

1 ½ C. sifted flour
2 C. sugar
10 Tbl. Cocoa
1 t. salt
1 C. oil
4 eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 C. chopped nuts (optional)

Grease 9x13 casserole pan (I use butter or marg. Instead of grease).
Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
You can check with toothpick to make sure it’s done.

By the time the oven is finished pre-heating, the batter should be ready, in the pan, and waiting to cook. This is one of the few recipes that Meja likes to use. I suspect it’s the smell of chocolate in the air when the brownies are cooking. Girls & chocolate – there truly is a connection.

It’s time to get back to work. Have a great day & May the Lord bless you.

Lists

2009-06-20T18:58:00.001-04:00

It’s been raining here at the cabin for the past few days; but the sky is clear and it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day today. I’ve tried to use these past few days to finish up my room downstairs and try to make some order of the vacant spot I left upstairs. Organization is my biggest deficit. I simply was not born with that skill. For me, I use lists to help make order out of chaos. I’ve always said that I think best with a pen in my hand.

This probably sounds crazy, but I love lists! I have lists for everything. (It’s keeping my lists organized that’s the problem.) When I was a kid, and Mama wanted me to help her around the house, she would make a list of chores for me to complete. I don’t think she realized it, but the list would inspire me to get things done just so I could scratch off the task and move on to the next. Hey Mama, I still do that by the way. I’m a visual person, and seeing everything scratched off gave me a sense of accomplishment. My daughter is the same way.

When I am in the mood to reflect on my life, to see if I’m still on track, I curl up with my Bible, a pen and a note pad. The Bible is my road map and I check to see how I’m progressing. A few years back, I realized that God uses lists too. (I thought that was pretty neat!) One of His lists that I go back to on a semi-regular basis is the one in Proverbs 6: 16-19. When I read this for the very first time, I took special notice of the fact that these are traits that the Lord ‘hates’. To me, displeasing the Lord is bad enough; but when He tells me things that He specifically hates, I kind of sit up and take notice. Look it over and see how you’re doing:

These six things doth the Lord hate:
1. A proud look,
2. A lying tongue, and
3. Hands that shed innocent blood,
4. An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,
5. Feet that be swift in running to mischief,
6. A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

I’m still having a little trouble with #5. How did you do?

It’s going to be another busy day. First, I have to locate my shopping list. Have a wonderful day and May the Lord bless you.

Index Card

2009-06-18T14:54:00.002-04:00

It’s raining again, and just warm enough not to need a sweatshirt today. Rain is always appreciated, but we could use a little global warming to go with it. I hear that West Texas is getting all the heat they can stand. A few days ago they were setting national records for heat. I’ve been gone from there so long now that I’m having a hard time remembering how good A/C and a glass of ice tea are on a scorching hot day. Summer here is usually colder than their winters. As I sit here all bundled up, I just keep thinking about how much electricity we're saving by not needing the A/C.

We finally have everything moved downstairs and set up. I still have some arranging yet to do, but it’s been fun getting organized and on track again. Bear immediately picked out his spot close to the door. He’s my constant companion when I’m down here. I learned very quickly that with him, I can step on or step over, but he has claimed his spot and doesn’t intend to move.

In all the shuffling & moving, I found an index card that I had forgotten about. I vaguely remember writing if for Honey to put in his Bible. I don’t remember where I found the list, but thought you might like it,

Spiritual Exercise
…is much like physical exercise:

The weak areas are often the ones unused, and painful. These are the areas where satan will attack the hardest. We must exercise all areas – especially the ones that are weak.

1. Reading the Bible
2. Memorizing Scripture
3. Meditation on God’s Word
4. Prayer for personal relationships
5. Prayer for others
6. Encouragement to other believers
7. Witnessing
8. Helping others
9. Stewardship of finances
10. Stewardship of time

That little index card now sits on my desk as a constant reminder that no matter how well I think I’m doing … I’ve still got a long way to go. As I work on the devotionals for Sojourner, I find that the lessons are more for me than anyone else. It’s funny how God can take a simple little list on a forgotten index card to smack me in the head to get my attention. Number 10 has always been my weakest area. I have little concept for time. I can say that with certainty; bosses from my previous lifetime have pointed out my deficit enough times.

Speaking of time management, it’s time to get back to work. Since all the furniture is being shuffled around, I’m in the middle of spring-cleaning upstairs. Have a really good day and may the Lord bless you.

Friday Night Date

2009-06-13T06:36:00.005-04:00

Honey's Dad will be here in a little while to help us with my big move downstairs. But I wanted to tell you about our big "date" last night. After a couple of weeks of work & monotony, a date night was more than welcome. We took a drive over to Middlebury. By the map it's only about 50 miles; but by the mountainous roads, it takes about two hours to get there. It was a beautiful drive over. The little two lane roads wound up, down, and around some pretty amazing curves. In some spots, the view was absolutely breathtaking. I was kicking myself the whole way over for not taking my camera along.

Right before we got into Middlebury, we saw several cars stopped on both sides of the road by a farm with a big open pasture. That's usually a really good indicator that there is a moose in the area. Seeing one of those great big critters is a rare treat for even the locals. When a moose is spotted everyone usually slows way down to take a good look, (That's the local folks version of stopping to smell the roses). The young moose was standing out in the pasture grazing. Honey said the young cow was probably about a year or so old, and for such a young thing - she was HUGE! If I could stand her next to our full-size pickup, she would almost be as long and could easily look over the top without straining too hard. As everyone watched, she would occasionally look back over her shoulder, completely unconcerned with our curiosity or attention.

That's part of what makes moose so dangerous around here. The don't care to be around people, but they aren't scared of cars. When people hear of an accident where moose are involved, the first thing they ask is 'did anyone survive?'. Folks just have to drive slow and be watchful on the back roads up here. Thus the reason it takes 2 hours to drive 50 miles. Seeing the little cow moose was a wonderful treat last night. I'm still kicking myself for not taking my cameras along.

Honey spotted a little K&W Drive-In on the way into town. In the nine years that I've lived here, that was the first drive-in I've seen around these parts. The atmosphere was like an old-timey Friday night in a small town. You could tell it was a popular local hangout. There was Classic Country playing on the speakers and the car hops buzzing around the parking lot. There was even a classic Mustang parked along the side that Honey & I sighed over. The food was good, (almost as good as Sonic), and the girls were so friendly. We had such a good time just relaxing and chatting. That kind of date almost makes you feel like a teenager again. We didn't get home until really late last night. After getting up at 4:30 yesterday morning, we were feeling our age by the time we got back; but what a wonderful evening!

Well, it's time to get the day going. Ya'll have a great day and don't forget to stop for a few moments and enjoy the amazing beauty that God has blessed you with. It may be a sunset or a little robin in a nest. God's wonders are everywhere.

May the Lord bless you.

Clutter

2009-06-12T16:18:00.002-04:00

Not a whole lot new going on here at the cabin lately. It’s been kind of wet and cold these past few days. The sun is trying to break through and the humidity is beginning to warm the air; but the storm clouds are still just over the horizon. This has been a good time for me to work indoors. I’m going through what is turning out to be my yearly weeding out. It seems that I just finished getting rid of last year’s stuff, and now I’m starting all over again. Clutter has a way of weighing a person down. I've noticed that the clutter around me is evidence of clutter in me. That probably doesn't make much sense to many. But when my thoughts and emotions are filled with clutter, it shows itself in my surrounds. So as I go through the 'stuff' around here, I try to use that busy time to go through the 'stuff' inside me - this is when God and I have our best talks.

Since the last of the kids moved out a year ago, I’ve been messing with the room downstairs, trying to turn it into a workroom for me. It’s been a slow process; but this weekend, we’re going to be moving the last of my stuff down there and it will be official ~ a room of my own! Getting my desk & related ‘stuff’ in one place and out of the living room will be so nice. My desk is organized chaos at best. No matter how hard I try, I can’t help but live by the old saying – a clean desk is a sign of absolutely no work being done.

Speaking of no work being done, it’s time to gather up my next armload and head back downstairs. Break time is over. Have a great weekend, and may the Lord bless you.

Soon

2009-06-07T19:34:00.000-04:00

I try not to double post, but I know alot of you don't read the sojourner blog and I wanted to share the devotional we posted there on June 3rd.

The Signs of the Times
Of all the pages at sourner2Heaven.net, the most viewed page is the one on prophecy. That page doesn't go into theology or interpretation of the Old Testament prophecies, it merely contains the words of Jesus in Matthew 24, in straightforward Scriptures verse by verse. God's Word speaks for itself in very plain English (King James translation of the original text).

I found a video this morning on ProphecyTube.com entitled "Soon"(embedded below) that brings this text to life in light of real world events. At Sojourner, we're not Bible scholars, merely Bible students. In some aspects, it is very exciting to see the prophecies written thousands of years ago coming to be in our lifetime.

For those who have accepted Jesus as your Lord & Savior, it's time to wake up and prepare for His soon return.

... behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. (John 4:35)

For those who are at the crossroads in life and are faced with the decision of your eternal future:
* The Bible is true.
* There is a real God, He loves you, He sent His Son Jesus to die for your sins, and resurrected Him on the third day.
* Heaven & Hell are very real.
* Your soul will live on after your physical body passes away, and today is the day to decide where you will spend eternity.

And this is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:40)

The choice is truly black or white. There is no gray. Do you choose to accept and live for God? or do you choose the the lies of satan and eternal damnation in Hell? Choose wisely. Time is growing short and unlike the lies of reincarnation, there won't be any 'do overs'.

May you seek the Lord in your choices today & may the Lord bless you.

Meet My Son

2009-06-05T21:06:00.001-04:00

It's another beautiful day here at the cabin. The windows are open and the sounds of Spring are everywhere. Praise God for Spring time! This weekend I'm hoping to slip a "honey-do" list to Honey and see if we can't get some things done around here. The yard really could use some attention.

Years ago, before Honey & I got married, I worked with the youth in Ballinger, Texas. We had about 25 very active and fun kids who showed up on Friday nights. The pastor’s Mama owned a little house that she would loan to us for our youth meetings. When the kids all showed up, God met us there.

For a season, several of the kids became very close. Without identifying anyone specifically, we dealt with everything teens face in our world today. One time that comes to mind is when one of the young ladies had to be hospitalized. One of the girls came running across town to tell me. By the time I could get to the local hospital, almost a dozen of the teens were there. I walked into the lobby and I almost cried when I saw these young men kneeling on the floor of that lobby in earnest prayer for their sister. Did I mention that our youth group was made up entirely of street kids? Most of them had never been inside a church before. Working with these wonderful young folks was an adventure of a lifetime for me. They were my blessing in very troubled times.

As time went on, everyone is grown now and has drifted off to pursue different paths in life. I talked with Matthew, my youngest son, the other day. He was catching me up on some of the kids in our old group. He writes a blog on MySpace, and the other day had a heavy burden to talk about. With his permission, I want to share that post with you. His readers are other young folks. Please keep in mind that I edited it a little, but much like his Mama, he writes like he talks.

June 4, 2009 - Thursday
John 17:14
Current mood: blessed
My heart has been burdened and it rips me apart sometimes. In my last post I made mention I have been around a lot and that I have made and lost friends because I moved so much. But now I am burdened cause I looked up some friends on myspace and they do have profiles that broke my heart. The once "on fire" Christ following, God praising, devil thrashing Christians I grew up with have abandoned God, or it would seem. I write them and of course they don’t remember me; but I want to encourage them so badly because they have allowed that cricket of a devil to talk them into a hole. Doesn’t anyone know that the way to Heaven is Narrow and the path to destruction is broad, and the flow is strong? But to be a follower of Christ always means you will have resistance. You will find more people hate you and everything you do will make no sense to the world. Because Jesus says, “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:14)

How can I plead with you that walking in the world leads to destruction? How can I show you that going with the flow will cause you more pain and more suffering; you can not bear your own burdens without falling down? That is why Jesus said "My yoke is light". You give your burdens to Him, and He will carry them for you. Do you not know that Christ didn’t come just to set us free but to also give us an ABUNDANT life? A normal person’s life is crazy; but a life in Christ there is a method to the chaos. When life goes tilt, you have a King that has riches, a Shepherd to keep you from being lost, a Physician to keep you whole, a Friend for you to share with, a Father to be your support, a Husband to protect you, Alpha Omega He knows your past and He sees your future He knows all your junk and still LOVES you. He is everything you will ever need or want. Why fall away? What can this world of sin offer you that Jesus can’t do better? Sin is nothing more then a quick joy, but always fleeting. You enjoy it for a moment then it leaves, and you enjoy it long enough, you realize that it is leaving more problems than fixing any of them.

Stay in God, and the problems will belong to God. God is much more than a kill joy. He is so much more then a rule book. Do you not know his rules or commandments are in place to protect you? Did you know if you killed a person, someone will seek your life? Did you know that if you lied, and someone found out, they will seek revenge or not trust you? Did you know that if you worship another god that Abba Father will reject you? Did you know that when you covet (lust) after another man's wife then the husband will beat you down? Did you know that when you don’t love one another then you leave room in your heart to hate?

Stop looking at the rules and look at the benefits. The Benefit I love the most is GOD IS MY FRIEND.

I pray for everyone to read this and understand,
Matthew

Dear friends find your passion for God and reach out. Time is so short and harvest time is here. It’s really very simple. There is a multitude of avenues on the internet to connect to others, and if that isn’t something you are comfortable with, just open your mouth and speak up.

Have a good night and may the Lord bless you.

Scattered Thoughts & Chicken Soup

2009-06-01T15:27:00.003-04:00

It’s a pretty day here at the cabin. It got really cold last night. Honey said there was frost on the pickup when he was getting ready to leave for work this morning. I talked with my son who lives in the Houston area yesterday and they had just gotten home from swimming. He was saying this while I was still wearing my jacket and trying to keep from getting blown away by the wind. Again this year the weather doesn’t seem to want to cooperate with my hopes of a warm, productive summer. Maybe when I get to heaven, God will let me work in the vegetable patch and be warm.

Back to my original thought. Late yesterday evening, as soon as I hung up the phone, the power went out again. This is a very common occurrence here in the Meadow. We could probably just have waited out the outage with a few candles; but I have sleep apnea and require a breathing machine when I sleep. We don’t like being tied to that old gas-guzzling generator, so we’re making steps in finding an alternative source of power for my machine. (When folks ask what a contraption like that looks like, I tell them it's kind of like a dog muzzle and a shoebox connected with a vacuum cleaner hose. Good thing we're an old married couple, or that could be really embarrassing.)

I’m always looking for ways to trim the budget and whenever we loose power the first thing I think about is what electrical devices can we afford to loose? Our stove is gas. That’s a huge plus. We bought it last year and it has saved us a fortune in electricity; not to mention the fact that during a power outage, we can at least use the stove top. I rarely use the electric dryer. Even in the winter, I hang most of the clothes on a clothesline in the laundry room. My focus now is on the deep freezer downstairs. It’s an old model, thus drinks electricity like a man dying of thirst. And if we ever had a power outage that lasted more than a day or two, we’d be in trouble. We don’t store a lot of gas for the generator and every time I hear it roaring, I visualize dollar bills floating away like helium balloons. My goal is to get us off the frozen foods. Instead I want to fill the pantry shelves. So far I’ve experimented with chili & chicken. Before I went too deep into the process, I opened a jar of the chicken and made BBQ chicken sandwiches for Honey’s lunches. It tasted pretty good. He thinks I may have overcooked the chicken just a bit before I canned it. So tweaking may be in order. The other day I opened a jar of chili. Again the meat was a tad overcooked, so I’m refining my process. Today I’m canning some chicken soup for next winter. You can’t beat hot soup on a cold day.

There’s a wonderful feeling that swells in your chest when you walk by the pantry shelves and see them full of different foods that you’ve prepared yourself. I’m not talking about pride in yourself for being so wonderful or anything. I’m talking about the sense of accomplishment that comes with careful planning and some challenging work. I’m getting past my fear of the pressure cooker and am starting to enjoy finding creative ways to pre-make our meals.

I guess this post has taken quite a few twists & turns, but now you get a pretty good idea what kind of prayers God has been hearing. I'm so glad He's patient; and I'm thankful you are too. My timer’s about to go off, so I’d better get back to the kitchen. Have and wonderful day & may the Lord bless you.

The Sound of Morning

2009-05-30T19:23:00.002-04:00

Saturday morning, my one chance to sleep past 4:30 and the cat must have forgotten to look at the calendar. She was up. She wanted to go outside. I wasn’t. She was determined to remedy that. I have come to the conclusion that cats are more effective than alarm clocks. Cats don’t have snooze buttons, at least not if you can’t reach them. DeAga is a smart cat, she stayed just outside my reach as she called in her loud impatient voice. It wasn’t the desperate cry of a cat needing the outdoor facilities; it was more like the greasy-spoon voice of annoyance because I was off the schedule. I was muttering to her as I stumbled to the back door, fully intending to go right back to bed; that was until I opened the door and heard the sound of morning.

Despite the tremendous beauty of the mountains, I have never really liked it here in the northeast, at least not after I discovered the winters. The thoughts of all the negative aspects fade at daybreak in the summer. Being on the west side of the mountain, we don’t get to see the sun until after noon; but it starts getting light between 4:00-5:30 in the summer. In the early morning mist you can hear what sounds like hundreds of birds. Each with it’s own unique signature. There are some that sing quietly, others have a strong clear tone. The forest that surrounds the meadow is the hiding place for the multitudes. Yet in the inability to see the tiny musicians, I was better able to focus on the overwhelming harmony.

Today I sat on the porch, closed my eyes, and heard the beautifully orchestrated praise to the Almighty God ~ the Creator of such wonder, beauty, and music.

Have a great day & May the Lord bless you.

Rainy Day Thoughts

2009-05-29T16:17:00.000-04:00

It’s been a quiet week here at the cabin. We’ve been getting some of that slow ground-soaking rain that we’ve been needing so badly. Rumor has it that this is supposed to continue throughout the weekend. By the time it’s over, I’ll be ready to see sunshine again. There hasn’t been much going on around here lately. Honey has been fortunate enough to stay working steady and hopefully he’ll get a full season before layoffs again.

I’ve spent a part of this quiet time studying up to write some devotionals for Sojourner. I’ve fallen down on the job recently. Unfortunately my concentration hasn’t been very good lately. My thoughts have been fluttering around like a butterfly in a yard full of flowers. I usually have my best thoughts when I’m up to my elbows in dirty dishes. But the minute I dry my hands and sit down at the keyboard, my mind has jumped the track and I draw a blank. I’ve thought about using one of those little tape recorders to record my thoughts, then play the recording back when the timing is better. But, have you ever listened to yourself on tape? I sound terrible! I never did like the sound of my own voice, although some would probably beg to differ. Speaking of dirty dishes … I only wanted to quickly touch base anyway to say Hi and let everyone know that we’re alive and still putting one foot in front of the other.

Have a great day & may the Lord bless you.

Facing Our Troubles Head On

2009-05-26T08:16:00.004-04:00

All we have to do is watch the news or turn on the radio to know that our country is in trouble. Please take 6 minutes to watch this video and pray.

We Need God In America Again ...

May the Lord bless you.

Getting Out Of The Comfort Zone

2009-05-21T12:47:00.003-04:00

What a beautiful day here at the cabin. The sun is shinning bright & we’ve got a brisk breeze blowing. It’s a perfect day to hang a load of towels out on the line. I can hear them whipping in the wind through the open window.

While I was working in the kitchen, I plugged in a Statler Brother’s DVD that came in the mail yesterday. It was the recording of their farewell concert. As I mixed the bread and set it aside to rise, so many wonderful memories came alive with each song they sung. I grew up with the Statler Brothers music. As a teenager I would be listening to tunes like “Flowers on the Wall” and “Do you remember these” while my friends were playing the air guitar to AC/DC and Pink Floyd. (What a contrast!) In some areas of my life I was meant to have lived well before my time; but in other ways, I can be as hip as anyone.

My kids have done it again. They have drug me kicking and fussing into the 21st Century. Blogging I found on my own. In searching out people who share my interest in homesteading and who could teach me the skills I want to know, I discovered a world of folks who have educated me, inspired me, and encouraged me. I laugh when I hear people comment that online people aren’t “real” friends. Tell that to my husband ~ that’s how we met.

A few years back, my daughter nudged me into joining facebook. She wanted me to see all the neat stuff she had found. I did. I soon discovered that I stood out like a sore thumb. I was about the only one I saw that was over the age of 25 and/or not looking for some romance of sorts. I signed up like she wanted, but rarely checked in, (actually even forgot my screen name & password). A few months back I found it and lo & behold ~ the sight was full of old folks like me! I found classmates, childhood friends, and my Mama & my aunt. I also found that the young people had all but abandoned it.

Now I’ve joined yet another new world; the world of “myspace”. Don’t look at me, it’s my kids’ fault. They kept talking about all the things they would post that I couldn’t see unless I was a member. Now let me ask you, what is the fastest way to get a Mama to go outside her comfort zone? Tell her that you’ve got wedding pictures and the only way to see them is to sign up for myspace. My kids know me pretty good But I didn’t want to venture into this new world alone, (after all I’m a woman), I drug my own Mama along. We’re probably the oldest members that aren’t looking for a partner or aren’t selling something.

Once I signed up and got comfortable, I started looking around at all the Godlessness around me. My first thought was to just let it go by the wayside, but then this little voice started nudging me ... why not claim my little place in that world for the Lord? There are a lot of lost & hurting young folks out there trying to find out who they are by merely choosing pre-made designs, graphics, and pictures to put on display. They are trying to stand out in a virtual world of others trying to stand out. Some pages are sweet and others are scary. For the most part, so many just seem adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

When I started blogging, I first had to determine my purpose for writing. Then I looked at all the options available. There are a few Christian blog domains that offer safety in the Christian masses. Then there’s blogspot. For one, it’s very user friendly, but if you notice the little bar across the top where you can click to randomly visit blogs from around the world. I wouldn’t encourage you to do that. The last time I did, the blog right after mine that day was full of very X-rated material. But, that’s why I chose this avenue to take. When folks are frustrated with life & browsing for less than appropriate entertainment ~ here I am. To someone looking for risqué material, I’m a cold splash of water. But with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I pray that Mountain Home will always be a refuge from the worldly temptations and a nudge back toward home, family, and most importantly God. In the myspace world, I want to shine God’s light into a really dark place and maybe, just maybe, show 1 person the way out of the darkness and back toward home. You know my Mama and I often talk & wonder about why God has us where we are, and what purpose He may have for us in such trying times. I’ve decided that I can’t do much; but years ago, I told the Lord “Here am I, send me”. And it’s been a wild ride ever since.

I know I shouldn’t do this, but I’m going to anyway … I dare you to tell the Lord “here am I, send me” and mean it. Your walk with Christ will never be the same, not to mention the excitement & blessings that will fill your life!

Have a great day, and may the Lord bless you.

Appearance vs. Substance

2009-05-15T11:46:00.003-04:00

What a glorious morning here in the Meadow! We’ve been having rain off & on these past few days. I’m not complaining because we need it badly. I just wish we would get some of that good ground-soaking stuff. The previous rains have been just enough to wet the roots of the grass/weeds. It makes things ‘look’ green & pretty, but doesn’t go deep enough to offer substance to other life, including our well.

I’m just coming out of a bad spell and finally feel like I can get back on track. I’ve got some catching up to do. So much falls by the wayside when it’s not tended to each day. I took my little garden plants outside to start hardening them off this morning. The weather is supposed to be a little overcast today, which makes the adjustment to the outside world easier for plants that have been started indoors.

Growing up, I used to hear talk comparing ‘hot-house’ plants and those plants that grow outdoors, exposed to the elements. I’m not an expert by any stretch of the imagination; but I know that my little plants grown downstairs in the mud-room tend to grow under artificial light, but their stems are weak and in time wouldn’t be able to support the top-heavy leaves that grow.

In my gardening catalogs, I’ve seen all kinds of artificial elements that are designed to be used in greenhouses, such as large turbo fans to simulate wind, etc.. For those who have large greenhouse businesses, I bet they works slick. But, I’d rather grow my garden the old fashion way ~ outdoors. Our growing season is really short here, so I’ve found that starting plants indoors really helps boost productivity. As soon as the outdoor temperatures come up to match the indoor temperature, I set the plants outside under some light-filtering shade for a few hours at a time to get them used to everything. It’s a tedious process to take them out & bring them in each day; but eventually they have adapted and can move out to the full sun, wind, and rain and thrive.

A thought occurred to me this morning as I was reading the newest Barna Research report. According to the latest Barna survey, Christians and pastors are real mixed up on what ‘Spiritual Maturity’ is. I’m curious, how would you define Spiritual Maturity? With thousands & thousands of churches across the United States, how can so many be unsure what Spiritual Maturity is?

The Scriptures say,

“Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.” Isaiah 28:9

I’m sure some may cluck their tongue and fuss about the above illustration. But, stop a moment and think about it. Faith in Jesus Christ is the key to our salvation. That is the absolute starting point for Christians. Unfortunately most Christians don’t seem to grow past that point. They are a lot like the hothouse tomato plants I talked about earlier. With that little bit of knowledge, they go out into the elements of the world and get blown around and eventually their faith withers and dies.

Isaiah goes on to say, “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” (Isaiah 28:10).

Another question: how do you raise a child? In my experience, the best way to teach a child is to teach object lessons a little at a time. Repeating the lesson consistently until it is learned. Eventually I became a certified teacher, but in all truthfulness, I was an awful student. When my high school teachers would tell me that there would be a test the next day, I would almost make myself sick with dread. I would take my books home, open them, and stare at them. I had absolutely no idea how to study. All I knew was to read & re-read the text in hopes that something might stick. I guess enough things stuck, I graduated from high school; but I didn’t feel any smarter coming out of high school than I did going into it.

I didn’t learn to study until I became an adult. When there was something I wanted to learn to do, I would gather all the books I could find on the subject and dig in until I understood it. If I could find someone who already had the knowledge, I would hound them to death until they told me everything they knew and then I would take notes. This served me well when I eventually went to college.

I guess what frustrates me the most is when a person is introduced to Christ, we just leave them to fend for themselves. We tell them to just go study the Bible or leave them to migrate to a church that either doesn’t teach the whole Word of God or one that keeps them on the milk.

I don’t know about you, but for me, the Bible isn’t the easiest book to understand. Even the newest translations need translation. There are countless study guides on the market to help the process; but so many of them are as hard to understand as the Bible is. A dear sister in the Lord gave me a “Willmington’s Guide to the Bible” several years ago. It’s the Old Testament edition. This is the absolute best resource I’ve found for learning the Old Testament. Without someone to help point the way, what’s a new Christian to do?

We went to a church once where the pastor simply did not teach his flock how to dig into the meat of the Scriptures. At first it appeared that the lack of depth in his Spiritual teaching was deliberate. But after awhile it occurred to me that it wasn’t that he didn’t want the Saints to grow in the ways of God; it was because he, himself, wasn’t beyond the milk stage either. He was just teaching what he knew. His little flock had a hard time adapting what they learned in church on Sunday morning by the time Monday morning came around.

Over the years, I’ve seen churches create ‘programs’ on top of programs and considered it to be teaching Spiritual maturity. Granted they kept the members too busy to get into much worldly trouble; but indoor basketball gyms & weight rooms don’t necessarily teach Spiritual maturity. To me, it seems to encourage “hot-house Christianity”.

Do we want the topsoil moisture, or do we want that real ground soaking rain? Do we want to grow to just have the appearance of being a good Christian, or do we want roots that reach deep and hold us strong as the sun beats down and the winds tear through? Maybe it’s time to do some evaluating of both ourselves & our churches and start getting God’s definition of “Spiritual Maturity” and not only grow toward it, but take someone by the hand and teach them as we learn.

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14)

I’m off my soapbox now. Just food for thought. One last word: If you are a new Christian, find the strongest Christian you can, attach yourself to them, and glean every bit of Godly knowledge you can from them. Don’t be satisfied with just a little knowledge ~ there’s a whole lot of wonderful things God wants us to know!

May the Lord bless you.

Mama

2009-05-10T07:20:00.004-04:00

Today is Mother's Day. As a mom, I look forward to hearing from the kids and have fun as they remember back to the good & sometimes not so good times that we've had together. Often, Mother's Day is a walk down memory lane. Take a walk with me down memory lane for a few moments ...

I remember my very first Mother's Day. My first-born son was only a few weeks old and my own mother made me feel like such a queen as she celebrated me. I was only 19 at the time. I have learned so much about God's love by being a parent; and I have learned so much about being a woman of God from my Mama. When going through situations where I didn't know what to do, I would often ask myself 'how would Mama handle this?'. Knowing Mama's outspoken ways, sometimes I would start laughing because I 'know' how Mama would have handled it. We've often agreed that I inherited my foot-in-mouth disease from her.

Back in the days where long distance phone calls were so expensive, I would budget how much time I could afford on calls each month and then I would call Mama. Between her one call to me and my one call to her, we would get alot of 'visiting' done each month. I needed that time; because in those conversations, she would teach me about the everyday things of life, she would sooth my hurts, and correct my misguided thinking on occassion. Most of all, we would laugh. Together we learned that life was too short to be taken too seriously. We laughed at ourselves and shamefully at others. (We would then agree that we should stop being ugly and happily move on to the next topic.) Over the years my Mama has been mentor, my hero, and my best friend.

The one thing that stand out above all others when I think about Mama is her prayers. When Mama prays, God listens. I have learned to pray for my own children by watching Mama pray. God truely does hear the prayers of Mamas.

There is a sweet devotional about Moms on Sojourner2heaven today by a dear friend. Please find a few minutes to stop by.

Mama, I love you so much. You have always been by biggest, and sometimes only, fan. You have been my sounding board when no one else wanted to listen. And you have been my dearest friend in good days and bad. May the Lord bless you abundantly throughout the days of your life. Many times my prayer to the Father has been that when all the saints get to heaven, could He please put my mansion close by to yours, so we can sit out on the front porch and 'visit'.

Happy Mother's Day everyone! May the Lord bless you on the glorious Lord's day.

Crazy Spring Day

2009-05-09T16:00:00.002-04:00

It's been a quiet day here at the cabin. Honey is off with his Dad for the day and the critters and I are keeping each other entertained. Bear likes to sit & wag his tail when I get to jammin' to my gospel bluegrass tunes. The cat? Well, she's sulking around with her cat-atude bristled up.

I know this is starting to make me sound a little weird, maybe even a tad crazy ~ but it's spring! This is the one time when it's ok to let your hair down a bit and act nutty.

Speaking of crazy, do you shop on eBay? I know my folks like the whole eBay thing. You never really know what you may get when you bid on the items. There's a post/article on page two that shows how someone really got some bang for their buck! I would love to hear you comments on this one! Just when you think it's safe to come out from under the bed ...

Break time is over for now. Have a great day & may the Lord bless you!

Judy Blume

2009-05-06T08:21:00.003-04:00

We woke to rain this morning. What a wonderful sound! It's been so dry here at the cabin lately that I've been concerned about the well. The water is such now that we've been filling jugs of drinking water down at Honey's folks' house and carting them home. There's been talk that we might get the well drilled out soon. I hope they hurry because that city water is awful!

Did you grow up Reading books like: "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret", "Superfudge", or "Freckle Juice"? I remember my daughter loved the books written by Judy Blume. Ms. Blume had a way of writing that kids could relate to. I know that most people don't read page 2 (Just Looking Around), but Judy Blume has been featured in an article by lifenews.com that I would like you to see. If your child has ever been impacted by Judy Blume's writing, please check it out.

Well it's time to get my chores started. Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

Layoff and being prepared

2009-05-04T16:35:00.002-04:00

What a beautiful day here at the cabin. The sky is a little overcast, but the warm weather is so very welcome. There’s a load of laundry on the line, cookie dough in the refrigerator waiting to be sliced and baked, and a chicken on the stove that will hopefully be my next canning experiment. Oh and did I mention that Honey went back to work today?!

Layoffs are always a little scary. We knew that his layoff was supposed to only be for the winter; but with the economy continuing the ugly downturn, it didn’t look like the construction materials that his company hauls were going to continue to be in demand. Throughout the winter when the question of returning to work would come up, we had to remind ourselves that God is in control. If this door closes, we know that God will open a new one. He has shown us time & again that He won’t leave us to flounder or sink.

As Honey drove away this morning, I couldn’t help but think about all those folks who have been laid off over the past few months that are facing such bleak days competing with a mass of other people for the too few jobs available. I couldn’t imagine going through that situation without the Lord. Let’s keep those folks in our prayers.

I was reading this morning that folks out in Kansas are stripping the grocery stores bare in anticipation of hard times to come. The article said that more and more people are planting what they are calling “crisis gardens”. I suspect they have a good idea. The only thing that concerns me is that so many folks are doing all of this out of fear. Fear is understandable. I used to be afraid of so many things. It’s a horrible way to exist everyday. I want so much to go to each of them, put my arm around them, and tell them that if they would just turn to God, He will ease their fears and help them through these times to come. He can give them peace as well as guide through the days ahead. A few weeks ago I shared with you a word from David Wilkerson. I think planning ahead for what’s to come is necessary ~ but not out of fear. God’s Word gives us numerous promises of protection and peace. When I catch myself getting anxious, I reach for my Bible. My focus right now isn’t just to prepare us for the times ahead, but to have enough for others in our area that will be blind-sided because they have put their hope in other things.

We hear talk these days that with the swine flu running rampant down in Mexico they had to shut down their businesses and public events to help curtail the spread of the illness. What would happen if our stores were to shut their doors for just two weeks? Most people around here shop only for two or maybe three days at a time. There would be a lot of really anxious folks. Despite the enormous wealth in our area, money would do them no good if the stores refused to open. For the more humble folks down the road, the idea of not having food for themselves or their children would cause people to become desperate. How about you? Could you survive a month if the grocery stores were to close? If so, could you stock up just a little bit more to help your neighbor through hard times? My prayer is that nothing like that will ever occur; but if it does, I want to be prepared. In my thinking, it's all about sharing the love of God with those around me.

Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.