White Rain

"Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?"

Job 38:22

The Lord God asked Job (in Job 38) ~ "Does the rain have a father? Who gives birth to the frost?" The answer is obvious...

"This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working." Isaiah 28:29

In the New Testament, James tells us:

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17

God's "gifts" include the rain and the snow ~ even if we don't like the cold! Each season, in fact, each morning, brings God's Provisions -- new mercies we see! His faithfulness is so great - it reaches to the heavens! And includes everything He sends from heaven.

"Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds." Psalm 36:5

"...All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! --

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest;

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above -

Join with all nature in manifold witness -

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love!"

In 1923, hymn writer, Thomas Chisholm, wrote: "GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS" ~ Truly, God is so faithful to provide all we need! And this can be our 'song' as we consider our Thanksgiving holiday approaching. Enjoy listening to "Selah's" Todd Smith sing this marvelous hymn, knowing how deeply he understands God's faithfulness, experiencing it first hand. (click here: for the article about his daughter / and his wife's blog: "Bring The Rain")

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

(verse 1):

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

(verse 2):

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest: Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness, To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

(verse 3):

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth; Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most High: To show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night..." Psalm 92:1-2

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him." Lamentations 3:22-25

Beautiful Words, Wonderful Words, Wonderful Words of Life!

Hymns ~ are simply beautiful words, put to beautiful music, that "knit" our hearts together with those who love them -- throughout the ages! When someone speaks of their love for hymns, if you love hymns, something deep inside of your heart cries, "Yes! I know!" And this is a 'knowledge of experience' ~ as those who love hymns have found, the Spirit of God has a way of bringing those inspired words into your head, to speak to your heart, at just the time you need them! "Fill my cup, LORD, with that 'soul-quenching water' that never runs dry!" Hymns satisfy a thirst, like no other songs can do. Oh, that we would draw from this well of worship, and learn what "true worship" really is! Sadly, in some areas of our country, we have a whole generation of young people who simply don't know this heritage of our faith.

I found someone who knows this blessing of "growing up" with these inspired works of God!" I pray that God would use her, and the talent she recognizes He has given her, to restore a love for hymns in a new generation! Enjoy listening, as this "lily of the field" shares her thoughts about "hymns" ~ and then, "sings her soul"...

Carrie Underwood singing "How Great Thou Art" ~

Live from The Grand Ole Opry

For more Beautiful Music:


Beautiful Words, Wonderful Words, Wonderful Words of Life

Downpour

"He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass:

as showers that water the earth."

Psalm 72:6

"O how pleasant are the effects of rain to languishing plants, to make them green and beautiful, lively and strong, fragrant and beautiful! So the effects of Christ's influences are most desirable to drooping souls, for enlightening and enlivening them, for confirming and strengthening them, for comforting and enlarging them, for appetizing and satisfying them, transforming and beautifying them. A shower from Christ would soon make the church, though withered, turn green and beautiful, and to send forth a smell as of a field that the Lord hath blessed...

...As nothing can stop the falling of the rain; so nothing can hinder Christ's gracious influences, when He designs to awake, convince, or soften a hard heart. When those showers do fall on sinners, the most 'obstinate will' must yield, and cry, 'Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?' "

~ John Willison

As he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, 'Saul, Saul...'
And he said, Who art Thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you persecute. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.
And he trembling and astonished said, 'Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?'

Acts 9:3-6

Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.

Deuteronomy 32:1-4

Oh, What A Beautiful Morning ~ Oh, What A Beautiful Day!

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"Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own."

~ CHARLES DICKENS

What a beautiful day! It must have reached 70 degrees this afternoon in western NY! And, as I worked outside, to clean up the rest of the gardens, getting them ready for winter, I noticed, in my November garden, a single red rose, in bloom!

It must have been that type of day, when the Angel of the LORD visited Abraham and Sarah, and announced that "according to the time of life," Sarah would have a son! And Sarah laughed! It was certainly past the 'season' for child-bearing, seeing that Sarah was 90 years old. (Genesis 17:17) How often do we believe the 'season' is past, then God surprises us with something only He can do? "Tis the season"!

God's ways are not our ways! And His Timing, often, is not our timing -- but His Timing is always perfect! There is "much" He has to work out ~ in our lives, in our character, in our relationships -- before He can entrust us with His redemptive plans and purposes ~ in serving Him. He uses the "wheel of circumstances" to fashion our lives, molding us into His image, and all that He's designed for us -- just as a potter would mold some clay for a specific use.
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"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." ~ Isaiah 55:8-9
~
At the Lord's "appointed time" He "visited Sarah" as He had said, and He "did unto Sarah" as He had spoken! (Genesis 18:14; 21:1) God named this baby "Isaac" which means "laughter" ~ because Sarah laughed at the idea of bearing a child in her old age!

The Lord gently reminded Sarah:

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"Is anything too hard for the LORD?"

Genesis 18:14

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We, too, must often "wait for the Lord" -- for the promises He has spoken to our hearts, and for His guidance and direction in our lives. His answers don't always come right away - as we'd like them to! Rather, we must wait for it! When we get discouraged, and feel too much time has gone by, we must ask Him to strengthen our hearts to "wait"!! He is always faithful to encourage us -- whether through His Word, through something shared by a friend, or through a circumstance, because, He is FAITHFUL! Let's not impeach His Word or His Character, by giving in to doubt... by having our attitudes reveal that, in fact, we actually believe: He isn't able! Or - in believing that He may have lied to us - going back on His Word, or that He simply has not followed through on His promises. God's Word tells us that we're the ones that need to "follow on":

-

"...follow on to know..."

"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: His going forth is prepared as the morning;

and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." ~ Hosea 6:3

~

This wonderful verse imparts a whole lot of understanding about God's Timing! It tells us, first, that we must "follow on to know"! If we quit waiting and quit hoping, quit praying, and quit seeking the Lord -- whether individually, or with others -- by moving on with our lives and taking matters into our own hands, doing our best thinking, apart from God, ... we'll never know! We'll never know, then, what God might have been preparing to work through us!

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Secondly, it tells us, that, "His going forth" is PREPARED. And, to emphasize this point, God gives us an example: "prepared as the morning." Did the morning ever come sooner than it was suppose to? Does the morning just "pop up" whenever it wants? No, God has a "set time" for the morning, and this has been true throughout the ages. If there is something you can count on, it's that "tomorrow is another day" as Scarlett O'Hara would say! "As surely as the sun rises" --

God is telling us, you can count on His "going forth" -- it is guaranteed, and it will happen in God's "set time."
~
Thirdly, God reaffirms this, when He tells us: "He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain..." These "rains" were indicators of the seasons in Israel. The "former rains" were the first rains, that came in the autumn, to soften the ground for plowing, making it ready for planting. The "latter rains" were the spring rains, that matured the crops to ready them for the harvest. The people needed both - in their "season." And it could have been a mess, had the rains come out of season! Here, God is saying to us, that He "comes to us" in His season. At the right time. His perfect time. He tells us:
~
"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the Heaven"

Ecclesiastes 3:1

~

You might be thinking, that you're not expecting to see "His going forth" -- or not waiting for some big "visitation" - not thinking that He's going to show up at your door, or, not believing that "He shall come unto you"?? ... So... how does God "appear" to us? In 1 Samuel, we find a really wonderful truth:
~
"And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh
by the word of the LORD." ~ 1 Samuel 3:21
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When God reveals His Word to us, God "appears" to us! Jesus Christ is THE WORD, and John's gospel tells us, that the WORD was made flesh, and dwelt among us! (John 1:1, 14) God also declares through His prophet Isaiah, that He sends forth His Word, as the rain and the snow, to accomplish His purposes. Not only does His Word originate with Him, but He sends it according to His "season" --
~
"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth,
and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." ~ Isaiah 55:10-11
~
God "comes to us" in the same manner -- "in His season, according to the appointed time" --
to fulfill His promises, to give us a word of direction or encouragement, to work in the midst of our circumstances, and to bring healing, restoration, or salvation to those we lift up in prayer before Him. He hears our prayers, and He answers according to His "set time." This is God's Way --

and this is the means by which He "exercises" us. ~ FOR...

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"He makes everything beautiful in His Time!"

Ecclesiastes 3:11

~

So, are you "waiting" for His Word? Have you placed yourself in a position to "receive His Word"? Is the ground of your heart softened by the rain of His Spirit, to receive what He's waiting to give? If so, like Abraham and Sarah -- with "Isaac" -- it's always pure joy, when He answers, because we're not just receiving "some-thing" -- we're actually experiencing Him! He comes to us in the midst of our circumstance ~ to redeem it for His glory!!

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But if not, -- if you hear His Word, and reject it, -- you may experience a "blindness" of sorts: never "seeing" what God might have wanted to do in and through your life, ... or a truth that He wanted to reveal to your heart, ... and as a result, you may find yourself "locked out" of God's perfect plan, and find your heart heavy with the labor of carrying the load yourself.

"Some sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High: Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help." ~ Psalm 107:10-12

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Wait! Good News!! God "exercises" us through these trials, and often, the very circumstances that seem to "lock us out" of blessings and fulfillment, -- God uses to reveal to us, that we have, in fact, locked the door from the inside! Keeping Him out ~ not letting His Word in! -- It is easy, after all, to release the lock and step out into the light of His Word once again. Simply call out to Him! He is waiting to "send forth His Word"! Waiting to unveil the hidden things, by shining the light of His Truth, and releasing those who are prisoners of their circumstances! He is a great and mighty God! And He is able!

-

"Call unto Me and I will answer thee!"

Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bands in sunder.
Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

For He hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

Psalm 107:13-16

~

"Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee

great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

Jeremiah 33:3

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What "season" are you experiencing in your life?

Are you waiting on the Lord to fulfill His Word to you?

Are you "following on to know"?-

-

"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage,

and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD!"

Psalm 27:14

-

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace...

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

He hath made every thing beautiful in His time.
~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

That Beautiful Name

"I know of a Name, a beautiful Name,
That angels brought down to earth;
They whispered it low,
One night long ago,
To a maiden of lowly birth.
That Beautiful Name,
That Beautiful Name,
From sin has pow'r to free us!
That Beautiful Name,
That Wonderful Name,
That matchless Name is Jesus!"
~ THAT BEAUTIFUL NAME
Words by Jean Perry, 1916; Music by Mabel Johnston Camp


I cut my teeth on hymns... real meat. And, to be honest, hymns are my 'preference.' I can't help "feeling" that a lot of the choruses sung "over and over and over" by many of today's church 'worship bands' -- are milk. Skim milk. Rather than being songs of adoration - directed toward our Beautiful Savior, the focus of many, (but not all), seem to be centered on "me and I" --- another 'by-product' of our "me" generation. When I was in Junior High School, my younger sister and I would sing our favorite hymns on the way to church - which was a 30 minute drive from home. Not much on the radio back then!
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Some of our "favorites" were songs like: "Love Found A Way.... to redeem my soul....", "Higher Ground.... I'm pressing on the upward way, new heights I'm gaining every day....", "Faith Is The Victory... O glorious victory that overcomes the world!", "He Leadeth Me... By His own hand He leadeth me...", "It Is Glory Just to Walk With Him... whose blood has ransomed me...", "I Love to Tell the Story... 'Twill be my theme in glory...", "I Am Thine, O Lord... draw me nearer...", "Count Your Blessings", "Trust and Obey", "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus... just to take Him at His Word...", "There Shall Be Showers of Blessing... mercy drops round us are falling...", "There Is Power in the Blood... in the precious blood of the Lamb!", "At Calvary... mercy there was great and grace was free...", "In The Garden... He walks with me and He talks with me...", "Springs Of Living Water... to the blessed cross of Christ one day I came...", "Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul.... O what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget....", "The Solid Rock... my hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness!", "Softly and Tenderly.... Jesus is calling...", "My Jesus I Love Thee... ", "Near To The Heart of God...", "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus... look full in His wonderful face...", "Have Thine Own Way, Lord... Thou art the Potter, I am the clay...", "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms... what a joy divine!...", "Standing on the Promises", "Channels Only", "Take My Life and Let It Be... ever, only, all for Thee...", "Wonderful Words of Life... beautiful words, wonderful words...", "Open My Eyes, That I May See... glimpses of truth Thou hast for me...", "I Know Whom I Have Believed... and am persuaded that He is able...", "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing... tune my heart to sing Thy grace...", "He Keeps Me Singing... there's within my heart a melody...", "To God Be the Glory... great things He has done!...", "He Lives... you ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart!", "It Is Well With My Soul... when sorrows like sea billows roll...", and of course, "Holy, Holy, Holy... Lord God Almighty, early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee", "How Great Thou Art... then sings my soul...", "Great Is Thy Faithfulness... morning by morning new mercies I see", and "Amazing Grace... how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!.." ~ a "few" favorites among many, many glorious hymns!! In fact, singing from the Hymn Book, is where I learned to read music! What a precious lesson!
[listen to: "It Is Well With My Soul" by Wintley Phipps; "How Great Thou Art" by Carrie Underwood; "Amazing Grace" by Charlotte Church -- links]

When I sing these hymns at home, now, I often find that my kitties

come running to me - it's as if they know the songs are praising

the Creator of Heaven and Earth! Let Heaven and Nature sing!

"Hallelujah! What a Savior!" ... as the hymn goes!

When I was in High School, my dad and I sang a duet in Church:

"It Took A Miracle".... to put the stars in place, it took a miracle to hang the world in space, but when He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole,

it took a miracle of love and grace!

My mom gave me an old hymn book, the one we used to sing from, in the church where I grew up. That is truly one of the most beloved books on my shelf! And as I was singing through some of the well loved hymns, I came upon this one, that really speaks to my heart:

"That Beautiful Name"

Take a moment to listen to: "You Are So Beautiful To Me" - by Joe Cocker - from my playlist... and simply meditate on how Beautiful our Lord Jesus is! "Lord, You're everything I hope for, You're everything I need, You are so beautiful to me!" Indeed.

For more Beautiful Music:

Beautiful Words, Wonderful Words, Wonderful Words of Life

"Hosanna! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the LORD: we have blessed You out of the house of the LORD... Thou art my God, and I will praise Thee: Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee. O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever."

~ Psalm 118:26-29

Tiny Points of Green ~ pt. 2

"Sky Angel Cowboy"

As a follow up to my April 11th post, Tiny Points of Green this video clip comes along and gives us a precious look into the heart of "a tender sprout" that is growing into a "thrifty plant" -- who has experienced the comfort of a loving Heavenly Father, and then, in turn, shared that comfort with others ~

This will bless your heart!

13 year old Logan, lives on a ranch in Nebraska -- and called KSBJ Christian radio, out of Houston, Texas, which he picks up on Sky Angel -- to share the lesson that God taught him. Now, it has been heard around the world!

From April 11th ~ Tiny Points of Green :

[God] "Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." ~ 2 Corinthians 1:4

If you pray that God will draw your child to Himself, don’t be amazed when a trial comes along. God is more concerned about our heavenly rewards than He is about our earthly comfort! We never want to see our children suffer hardships, but the fruit that ripens from God’s pruning is precious! James points out:

"...knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing." ~James 1:2-4

Over The Rainbow

A Covenant of Mercy:

"As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of One that spoke."

~ Ezekiel 1:28

Last evening, as the sun was setting in the west, the rays broke through the clouds as it was raining, and my hubby and I saw the most beautiful, spectacular, "full" rainbow we've ever seen! I only wish the pictures I took could have captured the actual intensity of the color spectrum ~ it was breath-taking! Even a car driving down the road, passing our house, had to stop to take in the sight! If ever God was displaying His Glory, surely, we were treated to a glimpse ~ and, then, He repeated His handiwork this morning! As the sun was rising in the east, chasing the clouds and morning showers away, the rays mixed with the lingering sprinkles of rain, and we were treated to another rainbow, displayed in the heavens!

Who couldn't help but wonder what mercy He is promising!

And God said, "This is the token of the covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

~ Genesis 9:12-15

A Lily Among Thorns

"...They lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me... they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city... they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips --

Because of His strength will I wait upon Thee: for God is my defense."

Psalm 59

After 5 weeks of vicious attacks upon herself and her family, Sarah Palin silenced the "dogs" and went "toe to toe" with "seasoned" Senator Joe Biden in last week's debate.

Now, she wants America to see Obama for the 'man he is' - beginning with "his friends."

Here is an awesome FOX NEWS SPECIAL - reinforcing Sarah's message ---

So... turn off the Beautiful Music, get a cup of your favorite warm beverage, ... sit back... and give a serious "Berean" heart and mind to what's being presented. It's time to grab our shovels, and start digging deep - America's leadership is at stake!

Afterwards, choose "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban, from the playlist, and say a prayer for our nation. I thought this song would have been a fitting one to have played at the RNC, as John McCain was so eloquently communicating his final words -

"Stand up for America! Stand up and fight!"

May God Bless America and shed His Grace upon us all.

"...The Bereans... received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily,

whether those things were so."

Acts 17:11

"You Raise Me Up"
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.

FOX NEWS SPECIAL --- [6 parts - each Vol.]
Sean Hannity Special: Barack Obama & Friends [Vol. 1 & 2*]

(* this link will take you to Vol. 2 -- also.)

Cadillacs and Volkswagons ~ pt. 2

[As a 'follow-up' to my April 13th post regarding

"Spring Cleaning," and my hubby's comment about my housekeeping:
“my mother is the Cadillac, and honey,
you’re the Volkswagon” !! ]

My Grandma is 97 -- she'll be 98 this summer! She is a mother of nine and lives in PA. I have lived most of my life in NY. When we were young, we'd make about 6 trips a year to visit her. With nine kids and a HUGE garden, Grandma's time was 'understandably' given to meals (which came from the garden) and child-care. I'm going to assume that house-keeping wasn't the top prority. She was always baking homemade breads, making homemade jellies and jams, and canning all the fruits and veggies the trees and garden produced. Her dinners always included a 1-inch thick piece of her bread with peach, plum, or strawberry jam... I can still taste it! And when we would leave to go home to NY, she would always go upstairs to her room, while we waited downstairs, patiently (and excitedly!) for her to return -- with 'treasures' to give to us! Those treasures included small porcelain kittens and puppies, bunnies, birds, and other figurines -- one time she even gave us a horde of 'Cracker-Jack-type' of treasures -- I remember spending hours playing with.

One visit, when I was in high school, my Grandma shared with me, a dream she had -- she dreamt that she was Raptured! She described the feeling of being compressed into thin air, as she watched her clothes drop to the floor, and she, herself, was caught up into the air... it was so real to hear her describe this -- and I've never forgotten that. That was about 30 years ago, and at that time, she was very 'in-tune' with world events relating to the European Common Market. Her expectation of Jesus Christ's return planted a similar seed in me -- to "watch and keep my lamp burning!" (Matthew 25)

Now when my family visits Grandma -- (me, hubby, and three kids - my college boy, and 2 teen girls), we like to take her out to lunch. Conversation is a little more difficult, being that she can no longer hear as well as she used to, but if you encourage her to talk, she'll bring out her treasures: her wonderful insights into the Person and work of Jesus Christ! On one trip, about 2 or 3 years ago, we took her home after lunch and walked into her house -- She went into her room, and came back with a beautiful, small blue-glass bowl, and gave it to me. Then, she gave us a 'final word' -- since we were leaving to go back to NY, and wouldn't make another trip till spring. She would always say, she'd never know if she would be here 'on this earth' -- come spring. This time, though, she spoke to my kids, her great-grandkids -- and told them to WAIT for the Lord to bring their future spouse to them. She shared with them her pastor's story: how he had been praying for a wife, and kept hearing a name -- "Lee" -- and he told the Lord, that's a guy's name!!! But one day, he met a lovely lady on campus, and when he asked her name, she replied: "Lee"! As tears welled up in my eyes, I looked around her house - I could see through some piles of "clutter" there were 'treasures' .... but I knew what the true TREASURE was: it was Grandma! The Words of life that poured out of her mouth, to share with her GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN -- my children! -- this was a godly woman! And I was hugely blessed!! To those who have eyes to really 'see' -- she is the pearl of great price!

She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness...
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Proverbs 31:26, 31

Cadillacs and Volkswagons

I will start by saying that I’ve been married for 25 years, 26 this summer, and somewhere between baby #2 and baby #3, my hubby -- commenting on my housekeeping / cleaning, exclaimed:

“my mother is the Cadillac,

and honey,

you’re the Volkswagon” !!

I think at the time it probably brought tears to my eyes – now, I smile...

(and so does he!).

So… having recently discovered the blogging community, but not new to Proverbs 31 Ministries, (I’ve been receiving, and have been blessed by the online devotionals for a few years), I read “Spring Cleaning” by Karen Ehman, and several posts to the Swap and Hop -- hosted by Lisa TerKeurst - http://www.lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/ (so I can compare my own ‘clutter pics’ and somehow find comfort in the company!) – needless to say, I feel your pain! -- and now I’m feeling brave enough to give this a shot… I’ll post my most embarrassing clutter issue -- my basement – or should I say attic? The embarrassing part is that 2 years ago I moved “It” from the attic to the basement because we were having a new roof put on our house, and this involved a complete tear off, in which everything had to be moved out of the attic. During the summer months, I’m busy with my daylilies, and so, I ‘put off’ the sorting and reorganizing of 24 years (and three kids!) of accumulated “stuff.” Living in western NY, the attic gets pretty cold in the winter, and the basement remains chilly, and that’s always incentive enough to ‘put off’ this project until it warms up. But as soon as spring hits, and the ‘tiny points of green’ start poking through the cold hard ground, my daylilies call to me, begging to be dug up, divided, replanted, and sold. And so the cycle goes…. Yikes!
I’m hoping that it’s not too late to post, and that I’ll be able to figure out how to link back… certainly, I’ll be eagerly anticipating any advice on getting organized! Oh yeah... that's a ping pong table under the clutter!

Stay tuned for Cadillacs and Volkswagons part 2…

Tiny Points of Green

“…their love was something as new and as tender and perhaps as unobserved as the tiny point of green that, forcing its way through the earth, is yet unconscious of its own existence but promises a thrifty plant.”

Elizabeth Prentiss (1818-1878) from her book: Stepping Heavenward ~

“Last Sunday Dr. Cabot preached to the young. He first addressed those who knew they did not love God. It did not seem to me that I belonged to that class. Then he spoke to those who knew they did. I felt sure I was not one of those. Last of all he spoke affectionately to those who did not know what to think, and I was frightened and ashamed to feel tears running down my cheeks when he said that he believed that most of his hearers who were in this doubtful state did really love their Master, only their love was something as new and as tender and perhaps as unobserved as the tiny point of green that, forcing its way through the earth, is yet unconscious of its own existence but promises a thrifty plant.”

When my youngest daughter was in 5th grade, her school put on a talent show as an assembly during the school day. While the young performers were backstage, the floor was cleared of tables to make room for several 4th and 5th grade classes, coming in to watch. Several moms had arrived, myself included, and taking a seat on one of the chairs arranged in a semi-circle behind the students, I had a clear view not only of the stage, but also of the many young students sitting on the floor waiting for the show to begin. There were a few musical instrument performances, followed by several singing groups ~ mostly groups of girls. All the contestants had chosen for themselves what they were going to perform, and as these things go… three of the groups had chosen the same song -- evidently the most popular song for that year -- “Skater Boy.” I watched, as each of these groups of girls assembled ‘stage front,’ dressed in their skimpy costumes, and began to dance – MTV wannabies - and I was very aware of a heaviness in my heart. A burden. While looking out across the room, upon so many young, innocent children, I saw a picture:

God desires for these little ones to be His “lilies of the field.”

Who will tell them about Jesus? Who will fulfill His desire that each of them should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth? ~ 1 Tim. 2:4 Who will cultivate the soil of their hearts to receive the Gospel message of salvation ~ so that they can grow as His lilies -- living in this world, but not loving the ways of this world? By the time the third group finished, I realized our mission field is our own backyard! We have a generation of young people growing up in this country, who have never heard the truth about Jesus Christ – God’s only begotten Son – how He came to earth, so they could have REAL LIFE, and have it more abundantly! Instead, they fill that void with ‘life’ as they imagine it should be – according to what the world treasures.

That was five years ago. Now, as a mother of three (two in High School, and one in college), my youngest daughter shares with me the ‘drama’ that daily transpires ~ pitfalls which have snared so many young teens, resulting in painful experiences that need God’s tender touch of grace and mercy and forgiveness. What these young people think they need and what they really need are two radically different things. This is our mission field ~ what is our ‘approach’ to meet their ‘real need’? What was often Jesus’ approach to share the Truth in the Gospels?

Jesus met people’s needs: healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, feeding the 5000, etc., and in doing so, they were open to receive from Him – to receive the words He spoke, words given to Him by His Father. Words of Life.

Do we seek to model this approach? Are we sensitive to the needs of others, looking for ways to bring refreshing "living water" into the dry circumstances of everyday life? As I consider my own two teen daughters, and college boy, I contemplate what their “perceived needs” are, realizing that when I seek to meet these needs (as long as it aligns with God’s Word), they will be more open to receive from me: my counsel, my wisdom, my witness – all pointing to my Savior, Jesus Christ.

They want to be heard ~ so I will listen (and listen and listen!) I will try not to respond with: ‘not now, I’m too busy… or I’m too tired.” ~ James 1:19

They want to be respected ~ so I will give them my attention and consider their ideas and opinions, looking for ways to encourage them -- taking into account their feelings and their age.

~ Romans 12:10 GNB

They want to be independent ~ so I will give them wise, godly counsel and choices and let them make as many of their own decisions as possible, (choosing battles prayerfully and carefully), stepping in when absolutes are called for, and praying for them continuously.

~ Colossians 4:2

They want to be treated as ‘grown up’ ~ so I will engage them in conversation, in the same manner I would give attention to a dear friend of mine. I will not brush them off as ‘children’ and their ideas as ‘childish’ – instead, I will seek to ‘stretch’ their understanding and imagination, and give them age-appropriate responsibilities and hold them accountable.

~ 1 Timothy 4:12

These “perceived needs” (not limited to this short list), really aren’t all that different from those of any other teen in their ‘public’ school. Keeping this in mind, I discover that when I make myself available to listen to their friends, lifting them before the Lord in prayer, God releases a stream of Living Water that can flow through me and out of me to accomplish His work ~ whether planting a seed, watering a field, or laying a foundation… for He alone gives the increase!

~ 1 Corinthians 3:9

Consider how the lilies grow ~

As parents, we always want our children to seek God, grow in His Word and in His Ways, grow in fellowship with other Christian kids, and make ‘right choices’ that are pleasing to Him. So we teach them ~ watering them with God’s Word. We pray for them and encourage them. We train them up in the way of Truth. Then we trust God to complete the work He began ~ and He is faithful to do it! ~ Philippians 1:6

He knows the right amount of water
our “seedlings” need to
flourish in His Hand.

We might be tempted to ‘drown’ them in ‘good things’ thinking ‘it’s what they need.’ But God’s Ways are higher than our ways and His Word tells us, that often He allows trials to come to us to mature us. That goes for our precious children as well. We want to protect them forever, but somewhere, sometime, along this path of life, temptations and trials will come to them. I witnessed this maturing in my youngest daughter this past year, as she faced a difficult trial at school. To hear her verbally profess that “she was too comfortable and God used this to cause her to look to Him, and -- ‘He works!’…” is joy unspeakable and full of glory!! ~ 1 Peter 1:7-8

Shortly afterward, a classmate experienced a similar trial, and my daughter responded with “I know what you’re going through…” -- an ‘open door’ to share the comfort she had found in Him!

Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:4

If you pray that God will draw your child to Himself, don’t be amazed when a trial comes along. God is more concerned about our heavenly rewards than He is about our earthly comfort! We never want to see our children suffer hardships, but the fruit that ripens from God’s pruning is precious! James points out:

"Count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing." ~ James 1:2-4

While they aren’t always going to make those right choices, what matters, is how do we respond when our kids fall? We ultimately want them to see Jesus in us ~ His mercy and grace, His forgiveness, His work of restoration and reconciliation, and by experiencing these riches, be able to share what they have received with those who have never seen the Light of Life. Then they will grow into thrifty plants!

Ambassadors for Christ ~ entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation!

"And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation... Then we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ..."

2 Corinthians 5:18, 20

New Beginnings

Amazing... how the crocus begin to pop up out of the cold hard ground, defying the previous year's death. Being resurrected to new life, they display themselves in royal apparel, reflecting the King in His majestic purple robes, and the Bride, in her pure spotless white linen, gloriously announcing that "times of refreshing" are here -- heralding the coming of spring -- a new beginning!

O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?
1 Cor. 15:55

For the past seven years, I have kept a devotional journal. Blogging is new for me. Eight is often a picture of 'new beginnings' throughout the Bible, and in this, the 8th year of my 'journaling pursuit' to know the heart of God, I graciously take hold of where this path might lead me, knowing that my Jesus always goes with me and before me, and it is simply for me to follow. Hosea tells us, in the sixth chapter of his book, that "we shall know, if we follow on to know the LORD; His going forth is prepared as the morning, and He shall come unto us as the rain" ~ Hosea 6:3. It's April. As I get ready to cultivate the soil of my New York garden, I find it's time, also, to ask Him to rain upon my heart, and soften its ground to receive His plantings: all that He desires to work in me, according to His good pleasure, so that I might walk in His newness of life.

"I want to know Christ, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on...!"
Philippians 3:10-14