Lives Well Lived

     The span of our lifetimes,when all is said and done, is in actuality very brief. From the moment we begin to speak our first words until the day we draw our final breath our debut on the center stage of life is spotlighted and our audience is great. The question of the hour,  however, might be, “did we perform well?”

     Everything we do, every word we speak, every motion, every genuflection, all of it is purposeful and matters. There are others watching us that are very quick to pick up on our mis-speaks or errors in the script. It may sound petty and unfair on our parts to be watched so closely and judged so quickly for our errors but it happens. It’s in reality the mistakes that shape us and mold us into what we should be. But “oh” how great the joy in our hearts when we get it right and receive a standing ovation. 

     I believe it is the desire of each person who’s life graces this stage, to live life well!

Will we make mistakes? Most assuredly. Will we fall on our faces? Very likely. Will we receive affirmation for jobs well done? Hopefully. But, when things don’t go exactly as we planned our question again must be, ”did I perform well?” ”Did I live my life well?”

      You see, I believe we have a great audience, many others who are watching us, but in reality there is only one audience member who really matters. It says in Colossians 3:23 ”Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”. When it comes down to applause we really only need to hear the applause of one and hear ”well done” spoken over us. 

      Just very recently we lost one of our beloved ex-presidents, President George H W Bush. Yes, he was just a man but I'm one who believes strongly in giving credit where credit is due. Among his lifes credits are these. . . President Bush lived a life devoted to his country and his family. He served in the Navy and fought in the Pacific during World War II. He was a member of Congress, ambassador to the UN, Vice President and eventually became President of the Unitef States. He, I'm sure, had many many mis-steps in his life but all in all I think he had a ”life lived well”. When his spotlight grew dim and faded I think it could have been said of him ”well done George, well done”. 

     In this life there are always plenty of criticisms and judgements about our actions but we must never ever forget or overlook jobs well done or lives well lived. God is the principle audience member that really matters but I think we should always be accountable for our judgements towards others. Do we tear others down, heckling and jeering at them or do we encourage and strive to highlight their good choices? 

      Any time there is a life well lived we need to notice! We should give honor where honor is due. If the only audience member that matters is applauding then why not emulate Him. How about climbing out of our comfort zones and stand and applaud people like former President Bush. When my spotlight grows dim and fades I pray that I have given an amazing performance but most of all I pray that I have been a ”life well lived”.  

”Open The Doors; Open The Windows”

          The floods have come, the winds have tried to prevail, the heat has been intense as was the bitterness of the winters. Every season has brought its best adversity but the walls of my house are still standing. Oh, there have been beautiful days of bliss and peace in between but the days of trials and hardships still come! They seem relentless at times. The windows shutter and shake under the pressure of the winds of adversity but they hold fast. The doors are pounded by the elements but they still bear up. The roof well protects me even when the blizzards of hard days “blanket” me with layers of trouble. This house was built securely. This house was painstakingly fashioned to bear the weight of the forces that would knock at its doors. The windows have been set tightly to shield me from the ravages of time. The foundation is sure and sturdy. It bears the load of stress and pounding on a daily basis. This house is strong! This house is secure!

     But, what if I opened the door of my house when the rains were pounding in? What if the winds were sharp and strong and cutting and I opened my windows? The security of my serene and quiet scene on the interior would change drastically. My floors would get drenched and the winds would wreak havoc on my well placed furnishings and rearrange my perfectly contented interior. What would that mean for the structure of my house? NOTHING! The roomscape inside may take a temporary beating. But my house is still strong! I can always wipe up the floors and set my furnishings back in order as long as my house is strong! 

     “I was a stranger and you welcomed me”. I opened my door when you were standing outside in the pouring rain. Kindness knew no boundaries. Mercy and compassion overwhelmed any storm. 

     “Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm”. You were filled with fear and trembled at the unknown. I opened my windows and spoke encouragement and calm to your storm. I felt fearless to expose myself to the elements and gusts of distress and mistrust but I did so willingly. My fears were calmed by His voice of truth and trust. My house is secure! My house is strong! 

     My doors are placed so they allow entrance and exit and will always open to those who need shelter. My windows which are made to open and close, will remain so the air will be able to enter and breezes can flow through to freshen my dwelling. I will be able to look out and see the needs of others and speak words of help and hope. My house is built on a firm foundation. That foundation is my “assurance” and “insurance” where I dwell. My house is not a fortress to hide inside of but it is a welcoming place where I am protected and others are shown the love of the foundation that this house is built on. 

     Are your doors open? Are your windows open? “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1) Our houses, our beings were never meant to be fortresses to hide inside. Lord, make us dwellings of peace, hope, encouragement and help. In whom shall we fear? 

The Important Thing

Here’s my question of the hour. What if our fine, beautiful church buildings were by some fate of nature, torn to the ground and lay in ruins? What if you arrived for church some Sunday morning and the pews or chairs were buried Beneath a heap of wood and the only thing you could see on the ground was a roof and a broken steeple? Would you walk away and go home to your house and maybe cry a little? Would you immediately try to start looking elsewhere for another church to attend? What would you do?

I don’t hold on to too many things and consider them “Dear” because after all they are just things. When I arrived home from a trip last night, however, I found that the large tree just off of my back deck had blown completely over and was lying on top of the deck. My patio table and umbrella, my barbecue grill, and one of my favorite things, my little church birdfeeder were all lying underneath of that tree. The table and the grill and the umbrella all survived but my little church birdfeeder was in a million pieces. I know it sounds silly when I even write the words here but I cried uncontrollably about that little church feeder. I loved it! I loved watching the birds come to feast there each morning. It was really very charming. My husband and I even had a running joke about the “Cardinals” being the only birds who actually liked to go inside of the church. The other birds were content to stay outside of the building and sit on the sidelines and eat. That little church held many hours of enjoyment as it supported our love of nature. But here I am this morning crying over that church!

The church is not the building! The church that was torn apart in my previous scenario was not what was important! The people, the ones who gather at the building, are the most important part it’s never about stained glass windows or Coffee bars in the lobby, or platforms with tons of expensive sound equipment and instruments. It’s not the fancy pews or chairs that we sit on or how comfortable the carpet is to walk on. That is not the church! Here’s where the final scene from “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” flashes into my brain. Even when everything was taken from The Who’s, they still gathered grasping hands and had a song in their hearts and sang it. So, if you stood there on some fateful Sunday morning and arrived to find your church building in ruins, the question still remains. Would you go home and cry and sulk and dwell on What you had lost or would there be a “coming together” like The Who’s down in Whoville? Would there be a song in your heart? Would it be a sad song or a song of praise and Thanksgiving?

My birds needed some seed and support. After all, they didn’t recognize that my cute little “folksy” Church feeder was anything but a place where they could come and be fed. So, I am off to lay out some seed in a tray. I will still bet the “Cardinals” come! 

“ROAD ENDS”

As I was walking down a backroad not long ago I came to the end of the road, literally. The pavement ended abruptly and there was a fence of sorts in front of tall overgrown weeds and wildflower growth. On the fence was a sign that read, “Road Ends”! As I stood there and gazed at that sign my mind began to conjure all sorts of thoughts. “What if this was my road of life? Would or could my life end this abruptly?”  The answer, of course was, it could, but as I stood there and gazed at that fence blocking any further exploration, It indeed made me think. Another thought that was practically “begging” and “pleading” to me was the tall grass and overgrown weeds and wildflowers on the other side of that fence. I really really wanted to wade right in there through the tall grass and see what lay behind this roadblock. For me the picture didn’t end! The wildflowers were calling out to me. Was there a stream or brook that was going unnoticed and I could put my toes into? Were there deer in the fields romping and playing? Or, my very favorite, were there wildflowers of every color to gather and take home for my dining table? The wildness of it all, the unknown, the adventure of new experiences were the lure for my curiosity of life. I wasn't ready for this road to end. I wasn’t ready to just stop and turn around and go in the direction I’d already been. That evoked a sadness in me that was hard to explain. I wanted more! I wanted to see what I hadn’t seen before. My zest for life and ALL it held were greater than what that sign was telling me.

Is that true for you in your life? Do you want more? Do you long to taste, touch and experience all the life that your Father in Heaven has in store for you? Do you still long to go down the entire road of life, no matter how it changes or no matter if someone is being that “Road Ends” sign for you and telling you that you can’t? The sign doesn’t have to be the end of your adventure. It doesn’t mean darkness and the end lies right on the other side of what looks to be a road block. I believe there is still hope and life beyond the “road ends” sign. Now, if you are suffering and have become physically unable to recover and you know God and have served him, that “Road Ends” sign could very well be your next adventure in Heaven and how Marvelous! But if you are of sound mind and able body then the roadblocks are not the end! You now have the opportunity to take off in a new direction that could take you down a path to the best days of your life. Your roadblock doesn’t have to mean “STOP”, but it very well could mean, pause, take a breath and ask God how to proceed. Your wildflower, love of nature, or babbling brook experience could be a breath away! Don’t allow what others tell you that you can’t do to be the things that rules the day. Roll up your sleeves and be that person that says, “I can” and won’t allow a little roadblock to keep you from going further on in this thing called life. For us, the road truly changes when our Heavenly Father calls us home but that’s only to start something wonderful and unimaginable. So, if the numbers of your days are still ticking on, step around that fence or roadblock and go where they say the “Road Ends” ! Because I’m thinking it doesn’t actually end at all! 

"I See You"

I am super happy every morning to be able to get up and usually straight away go out on my back deck and fill my bird feeders. The birds here in East Tennessee are hungry, let me just say, and have voracious appetites but they are also beautiful. Ive seen multitudes of blue jays, cardinals, red headed woodpeckers and finches. They're all so beautiful in their brightly colored suits and they are all vying for position at my feeders. The blue jays are the bully's of sorts as they are the largest so they make sure all the others wait their turns until they are quite full. When the jays leave the others then feel safe to come and eat. But the ones that melt my heart every time are the patient, sitting on the sidelines, little brown sparrows. They wait patiently until all the others have eaten and then get their fill and fly off to their next adventure. 

Sometimes in my life, if I can be honest here, it has felt like I am living out the brown sparrows life. The big guys, the ones with wealth and power just swoop in and rule the day so to speak. They get the best things, and have the pick of whatever they choose. The others are right there behind them to get or attain what the power players haven't gotten. And then, here I am, the brown sparrow, patiently waiting on the sidelines to get whats left over. 

In truth, as the Lord reveals to my heart, even though the other birds are bigger, more beautiful with their colorful suits, I "see" the brown sparrow and I make sure she has what she needs. She patiently waits, so I wait and watch and I make sure always that she receives what she has need of. 

So, God "sees" me! He "sees" you in whatever place or suit you find yourself in. The truth is that God sees us all and takes care of us accordingly. But if you are feeling a bit like I have at times, like a little brown sparrow, just know that God will also provide for you what you need when you need it. Sit back patiently on the sidelines if you must but you will have what you need when the time is right.

It says in Luke 12:7  "Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows."

There are days when you may feel like a "plain Jane" or in this case, a brown sparrow, but take it from me and the Word of God, "He sees you"! 

“Breaths That Matter”

I have a wonderful memory that I hold tight to that occurred quite a few years ago. I was very privileged to meet a lady whose last name was “Short” and to be a part of a two woman team who shared Jesus with her. She was a middle aged woman whose husband was no longer around and she lived alone and as fate would seem to have had it, she had just been diagnosed with cancer. My friend and I were happy to sit with her talking for hours about Jesus and she was very hungry and ate up every word and scripture that we shared. As was the custom of the church that we were attending at that time, we called our new friend “ Sister Short”. As time waits for no one, Sister Shorts’ time on this earth was very brief after our encounter. I will always remember the day that she went to be with Jesus. I was sitting with her in her hospital room holding her hand and praying. It was the most dismal rainy and dark day outside so she asked if we could pull the window shade down in her room. As she lay in bed holding my hand, I heard her say, “I want to see Him!”. So I began to pray that she indeed would see the face of her Jesus. Mind you, I had my eyes completely closed as I prayed and it was pretty dark in that room as well as outside. Then, the most miraculous and wonderful thing happened. A bright light came and flooded the room. I could tell even though my eyes were closed that there was the brightest glow but somehow I couldn’t manage opening my eyes. The light lingered for just maybe 10 seconds and then I was able to open my eyes. It was still very dark in the room and I looked over at Sister Short and as you may have already guessed, she was gone! Gone home to be with her Jesus because with her last breath she asked to see Him. With her last breath she called out her request and as I complied as well with my lips, her breaths pleas were heard and honored. What a beautiful beautiful moment that was for her, and for me as well. 

What comes to mind right here is that the things that we say with our last breaths, “matter”. They matter as much as all of the things we say in our lifetime of breaths. Here’s the important  question that we must ask though, “Are our words sweet? Are they kind? Are our breaths being wasted in angry words? Are our words ones that remain and impact for good change?”

I’m not trying to condemn anyone who happens to read this but my desire is to pose the questions that we all may seek to “do it better”. After all, if we do not seek to change always for the better than the breath that fills our lungs may indeed have become polluted. Let’s always be willing at least to examine and filter out the polluted breath until it once more becomes sweet in the nostrils of our creator.

Another example, and I think our ultimate example, of the breaths that matter is the story of Jesus and his crucifixion. As the account in the book of Luke reads, Jesus was nailed to a cross between two thieves or robbers. One of the thieves was openly ridiculing Jesus while the other thief stated, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? (Speaking to the other thief) We are receiving the due reward for our sin, but this man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong!” Then with his final breath ( the breath that mattered most in his case) he asked Jesus, “ remember me when you come into your kingdom?” And with one of Jesus’ final breaths he answered, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise”! 

How beautiful again were the final words that were breathed here! They breathed “life” for that thief who was crying out for forgiveness. They whispered love beyond what was deserved. The words of the thief that were breathed were words of hope and anticipation for what was to come and they were answered and met with a resounding “ yes” from our Lord and Savior. 

I can still hear Sister Short saying, “ I want to see him” and when the light flooded into that hospital room she was met with a resounding “ Yes “ by her Lord and Savior. How amazingly beautiful and sweet was the very air in that room in those moments. It changed everything! 

When we were created in the beginning of time it says, “ the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and ‘breathed’ into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul”. (Gen 2:7) Gods very breath was breathed into us to bring about life and our breath is part of what sustains us in this life. No breath, no life! So, if breath is the very essence of life then the words and things that we breath in and out on a daily basis matter. Words are indeed life and death. They build up and give hope or they tear down and pollute. Initially we were dust, a bunch of dirty polluted molecules that didn’t matter but then God breathed his breath, his life into us to make something of the dust! Wow! So, it matters! It matters what we do with the life, the very breath that we’ve been given! With our first breaths, our last breaths and all the in between breaths, let’s speak LIFE! Let’s use the life giving flow that is vital and let’s be what Jesus was to the thief who cried out. Let’s breathe what matters. . . . HOPE! 

To Remain

We talk about the courage needed to leave a place, the strength to move out into uncharted territories. We admire those who take to change like a boat to water, dipping their oar in for the next new adventure. This is the stuff of revolutions and gold rushes. But sometimes it takes just as much strength to stay put as it does to go. It's not easy facing the same dishes piled up in the same sink, the routine work week, the interminable habits that of course you don't have but that the people around you use continually to sharpen your character.

Remaining takes commitment. It puts up with the mundane. It chooses to love even when the glow of newness has faded. Remaining knows the value of longevity, loyalty, and hard work that eventually pays off. To remain is to know your labor is not in vain. It's to live with hope.

If we were to wake up in the era of John the Apostle, we would witness an upheaval from within the church, new and vogue ideas about Jesus were circulating---ideas contrary to what had been taught from the beginning. We'd see people leaving the church for "higher enlightenment", attempting to pull others with them. 

In response to all the tumult, Johns plea was simple: Remain, Dwell, Abide. Don't leave the steadying truth that you know for the sparkle of new philosophies or the swell of cultural tides. Remain within Jesus and the fellowship of his Bride.

The practice of abiding is never more difficult than when we're surrounded by a host of other vines from which a lot of bubbly people are hanging--all happy in their flesh and darkness. You know, when everyone else's vine appears more thrilling than the one you're attached to. You look around and begin to believe the lies of the Enemy--that the way of Jesus is limiting and that his followers are outdated.

Suddenly you have this overwhelming pull to tie your branch up to that new belief system, the married man who's showing you attention, the higher paying job that will take you away from your children, the extra drink, the glance at pornography. We deceive ourselves into thinking new, interesting branches will offer more nourishment, so we spend our time hopping from vine to vine, looking for another place to dwell.

For a season I toyed with what it might look like to try to play in both places; a toe in the church and my heart in the world, but this is not what abiding means. Rather, such a lifestyle means a crack down the center of your being. Ultimately I couldn't live torn like that for reasons that have a whole lot to do with the mystery of abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in us. Because of this truth the Lord never lets me break away, and I'm forever indebted to Him. Praise God for us in Him and He in us, the latter being the most powerful of the two. 

Perhaps you are in a similar position. You're wondering if the message of the gospel is really all it promises to be. The Christian walk you've known seems tired while the lust of the flesh appears to gallop across the fields with vigor and excitement. 

But, the annointing that the world boasts of is counterfeit and its fleeting. It's not the real thing which is why the Apostle John says, "Do not let anyone deceive you". There are deceivers out there and people get deceived. One of Johns greatest passions was to keep the fellowship of the community intact, reminding the church that the constancy in Christ far outweighs the temporal electricity of those who'd move on for more "enlightening" ideas.

As I grow older, the more my heart yearns for stability. Not stagnancy, mind you--rather Immutability (constancy; being fixed) I long for what will never change, all that's constant in Jesus, promises that never fail, fellowship that will carry on for as long as forever. In a world of ceaseless change and dissenting opinions, how grounding it is to know that we can know. Especially when social spheres, media, and culture timelessly seek to persuade us to question our faith, to doubt Gods truth, to adhere to His Word selectively. 

I can hear John calling out to his readers, "Dear little children, don't let the deceiving voices make you doubt what you know! You know His truth. You've confessed the Son and so you have the Father as well. Remain right where you are. This is your home. I know the voices are familiar, people who were once close to you. But don't forsake what you've heard from the beginning--the gospel that rung so true the moment you heard it, the moment it changed you."

Who Is Guarding Your Door

There are many who may know this about me but then again there are many who do not! I have wrestled most of my life with trying to feel accepted and worthy and good enough, you know all the lies that the enemy of our souls would try to whisper in our ears. You know, " you're not or will you ever be smart enough because you didn't get a college degree"! Or, "you don't have enough money so people won't ask you to go out to places with them". " No one will listen to what you have to say because you don't know anything"!  I have given place to those feelings, even nurtured them at times and they still had me shut behind a door of unhappiness and misery. I fell deeper and deeper into the trap of becoming a "people pleaser". That's right, a people pleaser! I thought that if I could get everyone to like me by doing whatever they wanted or whatever they asked of me, then I would finally find that love and acceptance that I so desperately sought after. Here's where some of you are maybe shaking your head either because you know that's a foolish way of thinking or you're shaking your head because I've just described you! I was held prisoner for many many years behind this door of lies and deceit that the enemy had constructed in my mind. And the real truth that kept that door secure in my thoughts was the guard that stood outside of it. You see, the guard was there to make sure that nothing else got in that door and to also make sure that I did not get out! The name of that guard was " fear"! You see this thing in my life, the people pleasing, unaccepted, unworthy and miserable person was trapped behind a door of my own choosing. That's right! I chose to stay there. I chose to allow the guard outside that door to call the shots. You see I think that guard was an " agent" of sorts, hired to keep me attached to the inside of my false thoughts. Hired to keep me inside that horrible place so that I would never know the freedom of security and acceptance and love and worthiness. My guard was doing a great job of keeping the atmosphere of fear around me so that I would never know freedom from those lies. Here's the good news though my friends, I got out! I had to do something to get out and that was make a conscience effort to turn the knob on that door, open it and walk out. That's it! Here's the light that came on for me that flooded my dark room of unhappiness. Isaiah 8:11-13 "The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, don't call everything a conspiracy, like they do and dont live in dread of what frightens them. Make the Lord of Heavens Armies Holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe". That was it! I had been thinking and acting like the rest of the world. I was being held captive by fear in a prison of lies that the enemy had fed to me. I had even thought that it was INDEED a conspiracy against me to make me feel like a failure in this life! I was living in dread and then the light came on! "Make the Lord of Heavens Armies HOLY in your life. He will keep you safe"! My defining moment came when I reached for the door knob of change and flung open the door to freedom and walked right past that guard saying, "He will keep me safe". I can't tell you how that made me feel exactly but I can tell you that I wanted to walk more and more in it. It became a "confident knowing". The more that I spoke the Word of God into my life and didnt listen any longer to the lies that were trying to flood back in, the stronger I became. I no longer live in dread of that guard at the door! I no longer live behind that door but I am free to walk in and out as I please with the Lord of Heavens Armies by my side. No guard in sight! Be at peace today my friends because if God tells us to walk in something, he will empower us to walk in it. He will indeed keep you safe when you make the choice to walk boldly and confidently past that guard and out of your door and into freedoms heavenly light. Choose, darkness or light? Prison or freedom? It is going to be your defining moment I think.

"Maid In America"

There are some days, and really not that many I have to admit, that I feel the drudgery of cooking, laundry and scrubbing the toilet! I do it all the time because that is just a part of my life and most of our lives but some days it just gets to me. I then find myself slipping into "pity party" mode and I begin to grumble about being everyones "maid" and servant. Yes, I know fully in my heart and so does God, that I'm not anyone's maid BUT someones wife and mother and very much needed in the whole big scheme of things around my house. My part, really, is to keep things moving and in "ship shape" order so that our lives can run smoothly. And. . . . . for those of you who are thinking, "what about your husband and kids, do they do anything?" Well the answer to that is "yes" they do but that never stops me from whining about it from time to time. We all have our moments when we forget or just get tired. As long as we don't stay in self pity mode too long and get our hearts and minds back on track, we should be fine. It's when we stay in that mindset, entertain it a little, grumble about it and then start plotting a strategy on how to get around it that we get ourselves into trouble and get "stuck". We can, I believe, get disgruntled, upset, tired, weary and worn by the mundane tasks set before us but we have to realize that they are also a part of life. We must put our minds back in drive and keep on truckin. We must be determined to keep moving forward. But really, we have to pray and ask God to help us adopt a servants heart and attitude because we are only doing harm to ourselves when we get an attitude of "we deserve better"! Cleaning, cooking, laundry  and "Yes" cleaning the toilet can be done with gladness and a song in our hearts. We are Gods "hand maidens" and everything that we do down to the dirtiest jobs should be done "as unto him". I am blessed to live in a home not a hut. I am blessed to drive a car not a herd of sheep. I am blessed to sleep in a warm bed not on a mat on a dirt floor. I am blessed to live in a land of freedom not enslavement and I am blessed to freely be able to worship my God. Sadly, everyone in this world does not experience all of these blessings that I have. But this "Maid in America" does!

Insight insert: I truly believe that God desires for each of us to really "see" our value and worth. Your value is or never will be in the things that you do such as your job or a talent that you may have. You should never be defined as what you do, for example you might say, "I am a doctor", so that should lend you more respect and honor and that's who you are! But guess what? You would be wrong because "a doctor" is what you do, your job, it is NOT who you are or who God made you to be! You had to go to school to learn to be a doctor but who you really are is the traits that God gave you to define you. You may be kind, caring, funny, or maybe even very wise so that should be where your value and worth lie. I would ten times rather be stuck in an elevator with a wise, caring or funny person instead of someone with a 4.0 GPA who has no common sense. All the education in the world would never compare to the value of wisdom or kindness. What are the attributes that you have been blessed with? This week if you have the opportunity to introduce yourself to someone new, make sure you say, "hello, I'm Jane and I am happy to meet you. (even if you are a Dr., you need not mention it. Try going it on WHO you are)!

Scripture:   Proverbs 31:20. She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. MESSAGE

Proverbs 31:26. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

Only One Life

Today, for whatever reason, two lines of a poem that my dad used to recite came into my mind. It went like this, " Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last"! I have very vivid memories of daddy reciting this again and again and a slightly blurry memory of it on a plaque that mom had hung somewhere in the house. Now that was an easy 50 or more years ago and here it is popping up in my head once more! When this happens I ALWAYS want to take a closer look! Upon some Internet investigation ( I am fondly called the "Google" queen by my children) I found the poem. The poem is called " Only One Life Twill Soon Be Passed" by C.T. Studd. It beautifully paints a picture in words of what our lives should look like! "Give me Father a purpose deep. . ." speaks volumns of why we live, depressed, defeated lives. We need a purpose! Most of us, if we were totally truthful, would say that our lives on a daily basis most probably revolve around some shallow, self-serving purpose that brings us to a place of emptiness in the end. We work long hours to earn more money to buy the things that we truly don't need! We rent storage buildings to store the excess of items that we just can't seem to part with! And we waste hours on our cell phones or "Facebooking" on our computers playing games that will only pull us back into wasting more time the next day! NO PURPOSE! That is an endless highway to nowhere that will only leave us craving to get to the " happily ever after" place that doesn't even exist on that road. Another line reads: "And from the world now let me turn". . . . .lovingly directs us to turn away from the shallow things that the world tempts us with or offers to us served on a silver platter! Just how do we lay all of those things down and turn our attentions toward the things that we need to do that DO matter? It won't happen overnight but it CAN happen. You didn't get to this place in one day but you can stop and turn around and go the other direction before its too late! First, you need to ask God to forgive you and then ask him to help lead you in the right direction, the direction he has been pulling you in all along but you have grown numb and resistant to. We truly have become a wicked people that have turned to our own ways, self-centered and selfish! This is our wake up call I believe!  I'll make this more personal if I may, " Only YOUR life, it will soon be past, ONLY what YOU do for Christ will last"! Lay it down (your own stuff and agenda) and make a difference in someone else's life from now on. It is NOT about us and the self gratification that we can experience ( the world will lie to you with that philosophy) it is about Christ and him working through you to change the lives of others. So, "thank you" daddy for reciting that poem and "thank you daddy God" for inspiring Mr. C.T. Studd to write it so that it could ring in my ears the heavenly tune of repentance and renewal! You revealed to a poet what truly was important and now I share it so that it can come full circle to you! The poem ends with these lines, " And when I am dying how happy I'll be, if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee"! 

insight insert: Have you found yourself caught up on the carousel of the mundane and self serving? I know I've been on that carnival ride and found that I grew more weary riding it! Get off!!! It's time to realize that this life that we have been given is short and comes to a halt way more quickly than we know. Examine your daily "doings" and ask yourself, "are these things being done for anyone else's good or for my own good? Are my daily tasks to bring joy and encouragement to others lives or is what I am doing just bringing joy and satisfaction to myself?" Don't get me wrong, we all need times of rest and relaxation to refuel and go on but that is not what I am speaking of. The daily majority of your time routines that eat away at your time and are of no earthly or Godly benefit whatsoever good is what I refer to! This week, look at your life through a much larger magnifying glass than you would normally use and allow the Spirit of the Living God to show you what mundane carousel to step off of. Now, tune in and hear what he has to tell you and move on it! You only have one life!

Scripture: Ephesians 5: 15-17. "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of The Lord is".

Psalm 39:4-5 " O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few hand breadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all of mankind stands as a mere breath!"

Crazy Quilt of Our Life

Recently a dear dear friend was talking to me about making quilts. She is an avid quilter and has many quilting projects just waiting to spring to life and wrap their corners of artistic love around someone’s heart. 

In our conversation I shared that there was a quilting expo in the town very close to where I lived and suggested that she should come and we could go together to see the beautiful and very professional side of this art. Surprisingly she told me that she doesn’t like going to those shows and expos because they remind her how very inadequate her work is next to the quilts in the professional arenas. Well I was taken back a bit by her response but after she explained I could understand how she may have arrived at such a conclusion.

She told me that while she loved making quilts, cutting out triangles, squares and circles, she could never perfectly line up the corners and the points so that they looked flawless. Her hand quilting stitches weren’t perfectly the same length and stitch spaces weren’t quite consistent. When she would go to the expos and look at the perfection and the high quality of the show quilts it only proved to make her feel very “less than” in her talent. 

As I was thinking about her feelings and the parking spot where she had parked her final thoughts and opinions I was deeply concerned. I have seen some of her projects of love that she has stitched and shaped and given life to and I have to tell you that by professional standards that they would most probably never be placed in the arena or the expo center venue. But  I can also tell you this, by the standards of quilters that have traversed the landscape of this country and have stitched pieces of their hearts and pieces of their old tattered calico skirts and homespun shirts, well, her quilts speak “home” and “hearth” to me. Their imperfections remind me of how very imperfect I am and we all are. The stitches and their “unevenness”remind me also of the uneven paths that we all have been called to tred. Sometimes those paths are easy and sometimes not so very easy! With her long and short stitches you see the times when she may very well have gotten sleepy as she stitched into the wee hours of the night just to finish her project. The points of her stars may not have been sharp and the bars of her log cabin squares may not have been perfectly symmetrical but neither are our lives. We search too often for pure perfection and all that is required is our best ability. It says in the book of books, “ my grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Our weaknesses, our imperfections and our edges that do not line up quite right are all of the things that shape who we are. We can give it our best ability and newsflash. . . . . .we will never become perfect. Wiser and more skillful, yes, but never perfect! That description was reserved exclusively for the Lord of Lords. God gives us grace so we must also give ourselves some grace, some room to fail and get back up and try again. Those times when we fall and get back up are the times that prove to build character and strength. We learn to live our eneven, patched worked lives moving from strength to strength. In the end it produces in us a beautiful pieced and stitched together work of art called “our life”. 

So I share here with my friend to look at the beautiful quilts. Look at all the perfect corners and straight and consistent stitches. See how beautifully the color choices are and how they take your breath away. But my dear friend here is a final “factoid” for you to remember. I can most probably guarantee you that if you looked at each very closely you would still find imperfections and if you spoke to the quilter they would probably share the areas where they had to make “do-overs” because the corners didn’t line up. There was most likely a price to pay for their beautiful creations so don’t look at what you see as perfection and think there were no errors. Your “ errors” tell the story of how imperfect we all really are and your quilts when complete declare, “I Persevered till the end”and that’s what saves us and declares His glory in us. What a beautiful quilt every time, stitched with love and pieced together with grace!  Now THATS a show quilt!

The Followspot

You know, I think I’ve finally narrowed down my life’s job description if you will. I really have! I’m serious here! I believe my purpose or job description would be “followspot operaror”. If you are not familiar with this particular job then here’s the description. 

FOLLOWSPOT OPERATOR: Person who operates the followspot (spotlight) which follows someone on the stage. This job takes a great deal of practice. A historic term for these spotlights is “limes” and they were operated by a “lime operator”. The first followspots used

Limelight as the light source. The phrase “being in the limelight” refers to being in a followspot beam. 

So, I am a ‘followspot operator’! My job and purpose is though, not to cast the spotlight on myself or anyone else but to shine it on God! There! You probably knew I was going there but please just follow me a bit further if you will.

Today in my church service they were singing a worship song that said, “ show us, show us your glory. Show us, show us your glory Lord”. Well, my brain went to “what exactly is the glory of God anyway?” So here’s the abbreviated version. 

The glory of God could be defined as ”the radiance of His holiness, His Worth and His valuable perfections. 

So, it is our job for us to think and to act as to make Him look as glorious as He is! To make His glory visible. We are to live so that others would be able to say, “God Is Glorious” not “Jeannie is glorious”. It is my purpose or job description to “spotlight” his holiness and great worth and perfection through my life without being in the “limelight”. I am to be the “followspot operator” and follow him, keeping Him in the spotlight as He is of course the main character on this beautiful stage of Creation. 

It says in Matthew 5:16, “In the same way let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”. 

It is all about God being glorified! He’s the one who’s to be in the spotlight and not us!  We are the “followspot operators” and we need to operate that spotlight to make Him look glorious and trustworthy and shine the light on His infinite worth. “Holy Holy Holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory”. 

Morning Glories

Just before the sun peaks over our horizons, the morning brings us a quiet, pristine sort of calm. Did you ever wonder what it would be like if the day could remain like that all the way through to the sunset in the evening? What if the days' quiet were never broken by the crowing rooster, the whistles of trains, the dogs barking, the roar of traffic on the expressway or simply the ring of a cell phone. Sweet bliss you may say. . . Heaven come down!!! We all need to dream about the refreshment of quiet from time to time and actually take time to drink it in here and there but it's in the busyness and the workplaces of our day that we actually learn and grow. You really can learn lessons from the customer who was rude and chews you out! You really can glean from the mistakes you made in your checkbook. . . . And. . . You really CAN grow from the death of someone very close to you! Life's enrichments always come with a cost but the value of the experience is almost always priceless! The customer who was rude may have caused you to become determined to show kindness to others regardless of the situation. The error in your checkbook may make you more acutely aware of your expenditures and teach you a hard lesson in frugality but one you will hopefully be better for. That loved one who passed away may be the hardest lesson ever, but it probably made you very aware of enjoying every minute you have with those you love and those that are still within arms reach. The lessons that are "lived" are the bricks that form who we are and who we become. If our day never had any trials or challenges it would be glorious for a while but we would never be prepared for that pothole in the road or that car at a standstill around the curve. The "glories of the morning" are always there early but the glorious gift of the day. . . . Well. . . It holds treasures that can't be bought!

Insight Insert:  Have you been meaning to write a letter to someone and you have procrastinated doing it? Have you been meaning to call that special person, maybe a dear old friend or family member but it became very convenient to shelf it somewhere in your mind? Are those "thank you" notes that need to be sent out still lying on the table? What keeps you from doing these things and possibly many others? Time? Possibly! Or maybe you feel that it's been so long since you meant to do that thing that it would be an embarrassment to you now to carry through with it! This is your week! Now is the time! I don't even think I will have to tell you how good you will feel after you have done it either! Now, go, seize the day and enjoy the glorious feeling that God intended you to experience.

Scripture:  Jeremiah 29:11.  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, pans to give you hope and a future. NIV

Honeycomb In My Mouth

     You know, I can still hear my grandmothers voice in my head every time something comes out  of my mouth that’s not very kind. “You know you can catch more flies with honey “ she would always say. I knew what she meant even though at the time I may have grumbled under my breath and bulked. She was a wise woman and she knew the Lord and an important note was that she always guided us back there, back to the good and kind and sweet ways. If you don’t know what that term really means well I will tell you. It simply means that you can get farther in this life and endear more people to you if you use sweet words of kindness. Ugliness in our words and deeds will never win us any real friends.

     Our lives should at every turn reflect kindness, generosity and draw others to desire to be in our company. When I was in middle school I remember well the “mean” girls. You know them, the ones who walked around with major attitudes and an angry look on their face always. If you so much as looked at them they would glare at you and say something like, “what are you looking at brat?” Now I’ve found as I have grown and matured that these girls were most likely hiding behind or masking some kind of pain that probably caused them to build a wall of “toughness” around themselves. All I knew then was that they were just mean and their words were unkind and I didn’t want to be around them at all. That’s what I’m talking about here. Bullies almost always do not draw friends but only swallow up the weak and spit them out eventually. Kindness is like a sweet honey that can flow out of our mouths. The Bible says in Proverbs, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones”. 

     One story that I think illustrates this philosophy best is one that my dear husband shared with me just recently. It seems there is a older gentleman that sets up to sell his wares at the local flea market that my husband sells at. This man sets up his entire table with nothing but jars of honey that he has harvested from his bee hives. That’s all he has, just jars of honey. Whenever someone would walk up to his table he would gently lean across and ask them, “ do you know Jesus my friend?” People would stand and talk with him for long periods of time or else they would scamper off like scalded dogs! My husband would sit and observe him wondering what he was talking so much about and yet hardly ever selling any honey. Well, hubby mustered up his boldness and approached the old gentleman’s table. The question was posed and they struck up a conversation. Now my better half knows Jesus very well but he was drawn somehow to the table of honey. After a while he asked the gentleman how his sales had been for the day as my husbands sales had not been good. The old man replied, “oh, I’m not really here to sell honey”. He smiled a broad smile and my husband knew exactly what he was there to do. He blessed the man and went back to his own table thinking to himself of the words of my grandmother. 

     You see, it’s true! It was a secret the old man at the table of honey knew. I’m sure he knew the verse in Proverbs that I previously quoted but he was walking it out. There were also quite a few “flies” around his table and whether they realized it or not there was something sweet that drew them there! How often can you go to a flea market and come away with hope, newness of life, kindness and compassion? And, how often do you have to spend zero dollars to get such a rich bundle of treasures. As Peter the apostle said, “ silver or gold I do not have,  but what I do have I give you”. Our words, our deeds our testimonies given and our kindnesses shared all speak of things that are far sweeter in value than things on this earth. I always thought that I didn’t have much to give but the story of the old man at the honey table certainly proves me wrong. We always have precious golden treasure to share if kindness will always flow from our lips. 

     

What Must A Daffodil Think Of Spring?

First, let me establish my opinion on daffodils. I believe that daffodils are definitely "girls"! Don't judge me, I have my reasons for my conclusion so let me try to explain. The daffodils in all their glory are currently emerging from the winters earth and displaying their newest Spring ensemble wardrobe. How beautiful they are in striking yellow against the brown earth and new green grass. They are quite lovely and cause everyone that passes them to take a second look. What lovely lady standing along the path dressed in her most beautiful Spring outfit wouldn't warrant a second glance or two. So, Daffodils must certainly be girls! Next, if you knew anything about the parts of a daffodil you would know that she indeed has parts called "ovaries" and. . . . . As creation would halve it females also have ovaries. Hmmmmm!  Next, in all her splendor, the daffodil has petals. They surround the center of her glory which is called her "corona". The corona is the crown if you will of her beauty. The bible says in Psalms 12 "an excellent wife is the crown of her husband". "She" has a crown here, clothed with petals ( delicate petals also being the term used to describe women) and she wears a sweet perfume that only enhances the whole package. Ok, delicate, crowned with glory and perfumed with a sweet aroma. Definitely sounds like my daffodils are girls! Ok, so now that we've established that fact, let's move on. Haven't you always wondered if flowers could think, what they would think of Spring or any season of their life cycles for that matter. But Spring in particular is the "time to shine" for our golden girls the daffodils. They have wintered the cold and frozen earth and still as the warmth of the coming Spring heats things up a bit, I can't help but think how I'd feel after having been trapped inside for such a long time. I'm sure I'd think "come on Spring".. . . . . Then as I feel things getting warmer I usually start to shift my wardrobe around and pull out all ofcolors and shorter sleeves and sandals. As the days warm up for the daffodil it begins to push up through towards the sunlight until it's green shoots show above the brown dirt. Then the daffodils begins to change their wardrobes from green stems to greenish/ yellow encased blossoms. Then when the warmest of Spring days arrive, they put on their Spring finery and stand with delicate petals beside the pathways of homes and gardens everywhere displaying their beauty for all the world to see. We then stop, look and smell the best high fashion display of beauty that the outdoor runways of early Spring can provide. I will, however, pause here briefly to point out one very very important difference between the lady daffodils and us ladies. You see, the daffodils never have to worry about where their next outfit is coming from or if it is going to be warm enough on a cooler Springtime evening. They don't have to worry about getting enough food and water and they never worry about how long they'll be able to bloom. We on the other hand have a tendency to worry over everything from "can I afford a new outfit" to "what color looks best with my eyes" to "does this outfit make me look fat?" Daffodils have a fleeting moment of time in the sun but a rewarding one. As for us, we go from season to season thinking the same thing because we don't simply trust our needs to be met as easily as the daffodil does.  So, what must a daffodil think of Spring? I sure do believe the gIrls think with golden smiles, " How wonderful it is to be a flower in the beautiful garden of the Lord!"

“Groundhog Day” Living

Remember that movie "Groundhog Day"? In the movie the main character (Bill Murray) was a TV weatherman covering the Groundhog Day story of Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania. He wakes up in his hotel room and finds the same events, of the day before, keep happening over and over. He is destined, it seems, to re-live the same day again and again. The true definition of insanity I believe. . . . .doing the same thing over and over expecting different results! Whan an insane notion. Bill Murray seemingly was in a time loop, if he chose to do nothing different, then events of the previous day would be destined to be repeat themselves. Isn't it amazing how true this little scenario is in a lot of our lives? We live our days in seemingly the same rut of mundane, repetitive tasks and then we sit back and complain how we feel like we are "stuck" and hate our lives because nothing ever changes! INSANITY!  Really, we've all had a bite outta that apple I think. Today I read a very profound statement that simply said, "You can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one"! Wow! I know I've done that. Haven't you? Have you literally ever been reading and you read the same paragraph over and over and didn't actually absorb any of it? Didnt  you feel like just closing the book and putting it down because you figured, "what the heck", it must not be meant for me to read this right now because I can't concentrate! Well, most likely you were distracted or not paying close attention to what you were doing. Do away with the distractions and concentrate on the moment that you are in and you probably wouldn't have an issue at all. The same thing for Bill Murray in the movie, his "ah ha" moment came when he realized that instead of letting his circumstances impose themselves on him, he would take control of his circumstances! That little illustration speaks volumes doesn't it! We do keep doing the same things over and over or re-reading our paragraphs again and again. STOP! Renew your mind and thinking. Begin, like Bill Murray, to live in your moments and enjoy each and every one instead of mundanely living them out in the same way day in and day out. How, you ask? Well, just like the previous " STOP" sign that I posted for you, you have to do just that! Stop, so you can take a chance to look around you and notice things that you may not have noticed before. What's the name of that co-worker who gets coffee at the coffee maker each day about the same time as you do and do you ever ask them questions or engage them in conversation other than, "hello"? Eat breakfast, get dressed, grab your things and run out the door. Your routine? Change it up! Get dressed, out the door, stop at bagel shop, grab bagels and coffee and then get to work early and share breakfast with the first person you see! Could turn out to be a God encounter or maybe it's the next paragraph in your "day after" Groundhog Day story!      

Insight Insert:  This week, purpose to do something different in your schedule EVERY day! Note: remember if the groundhog "does not" see his shadow then Spring supposedly will come early. So, in saying that, allow the light of Gods enlightenment to come to you because his light will dispel all the shadows and "voila", your long awaited "Spring" season could come earlier than you think!

 

Scripture:Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

Silence Is Golden

Why does the smell of a campfire in the fall just draw me in like a fish on a line? Maybe its the cool autumn air coupled with the warmth of the burning logs or maybe it's the smell of the wood burning that tells me that a change is coming or maybe the knowledge that I will be surrounded at that fireside by many other fish and their company brings me happiness! Whatever the reason, a campfire holds lots of moments of joy with each spark that flies out into the cool and dark night air. Have you ever noticed how there are occasional moments of silence when everyone present just seems to get to the pinnacle of relaxation and stares into the flickering flames? No words seem to be necessary at that moment. There's just a "knowing" and a sort of "silent agreement" that calls for no words at all! I experience that same "silent knowing" many times on long trips in the car with my husband of 40 years. We will be talking one minute and noticing the scenery the next and then. . . . it happens; the silence! It's perfectly wonderful. No words are needed to "fill" the space, no awkward nervousness, no throat clearing sounds to provoke intentional guilt, nothing! Just beautiful, understood quiet . . . . But quiet that speaks louder than any public address system ever could! It's the result, I believe, of coming to a point of relaxation and comfort. It's truly a beautiful thing to experience. Why don't we go there more often in our lives? Busyness, I'm sure is the biggest millstone around our necks that keeps us weighed down I suppose but truth be known, we all just need to stop and take more campfire moments. We need to exercise moments if you will so we will want them and run after them at every opportunity. Those moments don't have to be a rare treat but I believe they can happen often and become a real treasure to us. So, light a campfire, take a roadtrip or just sit out under the stars with the one you love wrapped up together in a cozy blanket, then ask God to give you one of those moments. The "silence" will be truly "golden"!

Insight Insert: In the midst of our busy lives and schedules, take time this week to have a few moments of silence somewhere. Go out of your normal places of routine and breath in the quiet of your Lords creation. Purpose to experience the quiet stillness that brings relaxation. Persevere through the temptation to cut those times short and begin to practice his peace! It will leave you wanting more!

Scripture: Mark 6: 31.  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, " Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest"! 

Psalms 55:6. Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

Touching Others

Ok, true confession time. I am a hugger!! There, I said it. In most cases I can't just shake people's hands, I have to take it to the next level and wrap my arms around them and squeeze them. Oh, I'm no respecter of persons either. I admit it! Women, men, boys or girls; they all get the same squeeze treatment. I'm not sure why I am a hugger but maybe it's because I love to get hugs so I just think everyone should get them. Oh. . . . . . . .but not everyone wants them I have discovered. You can always tell the "wanters" from the "non-wanters", they either step back and stick out their hands for a quick handshake or they turn into a piece of lumber when you hug them. Gotta love the "lumber" ones, it's kind of like they just don't know how to react to a hug or any kind of affectionate gesture. And then there are the "germ-a-phobes" , they just put both hands up and make some excuse like, " sorry, it's cold and flu season you know"! They all still make me smile because I know that deep down inside there has most likely been some wound or scar or heaven forbid, no hugs at all in their lives. 

     There is something very therapeutic, I believe, about human touch. It has been proven that in infants there are definite adverse effects to non-touch. 100 years ago a great many  babies in orphanages in the U.S. died before they were 7 months old. They didn't die from an epidemic necessarily or disease or malnutrition but they died from a condition known as "failure to thrive" which is cause primarily from a lack of touch. You see, God's design started with the skin of each of us in the mothers womb. Our skin derived from the same cells as our nervous system and is the perfect instrument for gathering information about our surroundings long before birth. Also, newborn infants are not fully developed at birth because their vision isn't clear and they can't differentiate sounds. Babies communicate with the world almost entirely through their skin. So, messages that are received through touch will have definite effects on our behavior for the rest of our lives. I must have been touched "a lot" when I was a baby because, like I said, "I'm a hugger!" Being touched in some way was in Gods design and plan for each of us. So, if you are "hug deprived", begin to add it into your diet. If you are a hugger, like me, "keep on huggin" and if you don't particularly relish the thought at all of hugging other people. . . . . . Please, please reconsider! Hugging can change everything.

Insight Insert:  You may think that I am going to suggest that you start hugging more people this week but Im not! I will suggest to you to do just the opposite. If someone would normally hug you when they see you then I would challenge you to resist and try not to hug. I think you will see that this little experiment will be more difficult than you think. You see, we naturally crave and need human touch and whether you admit it or not you too may be a hugger! If on the other hand you know that you definitely are NOT a hugger then I challenge you to hug at every opportunity like you will never see that person again. In either instance I truly believe that you will come to understand a little better the importance of human touch.

Scripture:  Romans 12:10.  Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ESV 

Death Comes To My Landscape

Today I cried for a tree. It wasn't any ordinary tree mind you but an "extraordinary creative work" fashioned and formed by our Creator and it was deemed “dead and unworthy to stand” so today it came down. I don’t usually cry for trees because well, they are after all, just trees. I think I cried because I knew that this particular tree had stood there for at least 200 years, given shade to some, acorns to the wildlife and ultimate beauty to all who stood in its shadow. It had stood the test of time and today was the day that it left the landscape of this world. One positive note is that it will still work its purpose for firewood to those in need of heat and mulch to landscapes thereby giving its last bit to the purpose of life going on. This last couple of weeks in my life have seemingly seen several things around me, like the tree, crumble and fall and come to an end. This house that I am currently blessed to live in sits high atop a hill overlooking a lake. It's stunningly beautiful. As part of my view I had an old bridge that was especially estetecallly pleasing to the eye at the base of my hill that crossed over the lake. It was an old cantilevered trussed bridge built back in 1942. Well, they have been building a new bridge beside it, a wider bridge, that could more easily handle the traffic. The new bridge just opened and it was simple and purposeful in its straight but flat architecture. The other day their was a massive explosion. I ran outside and saw that they had blown up the old bridge. Now I know it sounds a bit crazy but my heart was very very sad. You see, like my oak tree, that bridge was beautiful to look at but it had grown old and weak and had also served its purpose so it was brought down. It felt once more as if I suffered a loss or a death of something very close and dear to me. My friends that I spoke to about my losses were sympathetic but didn't seem to understand the depth of the loss that I was feeling. Thats ok because things affect us all in different ways at times. But two things in a short period of time felt monumental to me. The whole landscape of my present world was changed in a flash with a massive explosion and a chain saw. I know i know! Change has to come to everything at some point but my tree and my bridge was just too much. So, I cried! Now that the smoke and sawdust have settled and I have regained my composure I have to believe that I will grieve but I will be ok. You see, everything that happens to us in our lives is purposeful.  I truly believe that.  So, as I look out upon my landscape today it looks much different. There is an empty space where my magnifiscent tree stood and the green trussed architecture of my bridge is gone but still lingers in my memory. They cannot be replaced. But it's a new year and change has come so I must embrace it and make new memories. Tomorrow is a new day with new mercies as the Bible tells us. I believe it so im honor of a great old tree and a beautiful old bridge I will cry no more but give thanks for the change that still comes whether we want it to or not. There's a reason and purpose to every season. Great is they faithfulness O God our Father. 🌳🌉