Shattered Cup

 I love pottery. I’m not sure what it is about it but I just love handmade pottery. I have a very vintage shaving mug rack that was from a barber shop in a town near me. It held shaving mugs for the barbers’ customers. When they would come in for a haircut and a shave each one had their very own mug with their name on it and a small cake of soap in the bottom that the barber could whip up into a froth and slather it on their face for the cleanest shave that they ever had. Well, this mug rack now holds all of my special pottery mugs for coffee, tea or whatever beverage anyone chooses.  I have a favorite, of course that I gravitate towards every time. It was taller than most of my 40 or so mugs, had a tree painted on it ( my weakness is a love for trees) and it just felt “right” in my hand  you know! One day as I routinely headed for my mug rack to grab my favorite mug for my morning cup of Joe I noticed that it wasn’t there. I turned and looked at my hubby who had been unloading the dishwasher and he had that ‘ deer in the headlights’ look on his face and he slowly produced , you guessed it, my favorite mug. However, this once perfect vessel was now in 3-4 pieces. I was as crushed as that mug! I quickly ran for the glue and started trying to make it look as it once had. When the last piece was set into place I could see that it would never look as it did before and most assuredly would never serve the same purpose that it had in the past.  The last piece that I’d tried to glue back into place looked ok but something about the mug was off. My thought was that the glue would get hot when the mug was filled with coffee and the glue would release. I picked up my shattered and broken mug and walked into my sunroom and sat down. My sunroom is where I sit and watch nature and get inspiration for my art. I took my favorite mug and sat it Next to my chair. I sat there looking at all of my paintbrushes scattered everywhere so I pick them up in a nice bundle and put them down inside of my broken mug. Now my broken mug would hold my favorite tools and I could still look at it everyday. I know it seemed silly and childlike but I asked God, “Why? Out of all the 40 other mugs did it have to be this one that was shattered?” Sometimes in life things don’t seem fair, they don’t seem like they serve our best interests. Oh, but they do! You see, as I sat there feeling sorry for myself and mourning  the loss of a coffee cup, the Lord was doing something in me. I looked at that mug holding all my beautiful paintbrushes and looked at it and looked at it and realized that I could look at it. I realized it was still here! It was still my favorite, but it had just taken on a new purpose. Instead of holding my coffee it held my tools. Its usefulness was still intact. It wasn’t the mug that was shattered but my expectations of what made me happy and what was normal in my mind that was shattered. Sometimes things change. Sometimes our thoughts of what a perfect picture can be can get shattered just like my mug.  Sometimes we lose things that are dear to us, sometimes we lose people that are precious to us or sometimes we have to move on from our comfortable and normal spots in order for change to be realized. The mugs’ purpose changed and it was a good thing. But the good thing was that I realized in my heart that God has more than one reason for things happening to us and it’s how we resolve it in our hearts and move on and embrace the change that actually makes the difference. God always knows what he’s doing and why he’s doing it. It can be sad, it can be depressing, it can be hard and it can test your mettle at times but ask God to show you and renew your mind and your thinking about all the questions of why? I have a paintbrush holder that I love, it’s my favorite and it has a tree on it ! It reminds me of the days when I drank deeply of the pleasures of my morning coffee and time with my Father and  now I have a wonderful memory of that PLUS a new smile because I now realize that by drinking deeply in the presence of my Father that my eyes can now see that His ways and His purposes reach much farther than the shattered brokenness that is evident in front of me. 

“EX-SEEDING” THE NEED

 Well, this morning held yet another little visual life lesson from the Lord. They come so often now that I scarcely can write them all down. But here goes, you’re gonna love this!

While sipping my coffee and having my quiet time, I noticed that just inside the window of my bird garden area was one of my bird feeders that looked like it had something in it. It was very empty looking and upon closer examination, as the breeze spun it around, I could see that the feeder did indeed have something in it. Although it wasn’t birdseed but a little sparrow sitting quietly snuggled safe and warm inside the clear glass walls . of the feeder . He had somehow managed to get himself up over the walls, probably under the roof eaves, and inside the feeder. I noticed that he was trying every once in a while to fly up or get up so that he could get out but it was fruitless. He was either dazed because of the experience or he had plainly eaten enough seed to weigh his little bottom down and he couldn’t get off the ground. His ‘motherload’ of plenty didn’t just give him a taste but it far exceeded his need. When the light of day brightened the sky this morning I’ll just bet that this little fellow who was looking for his breakfast meal never expected to find himself in this predicament. (Not to worry, my husband lifted the roof and he was freed) Today, this 

Little sparrow was met with an abundance that far exceeded his need. Isn’t that a bit like our lives sometimes? We wrestle with where the next dollar will come from to pay the bills yet our “handbook of truth for living” tells us “he (God) shall supply all our needs”. We wrestle and finagle things trying to ‘make it happen’ ourselves. The fact is that if we would just trust Him for it all then we would surely see His hand move on our behalf. Now, I’m not talking about sitting back on our laurels snd doing nothing and waiting for FED-EX to drop a box of money onto our front stoop. Nope!

I’m talking about continuing to move forward in our day knowing that it will all be supplied. There is no

need for striving or straining nor ulceratibg our guts to make sure that we have everything to meet those needs. We can go too far sometimes, like this little sparrow, and find ourselves in a pickle because we step over the line in pursuit of the need and land straight into the sometimes 

Messy ‘greed’ part. We get greedy to do what isn’t ours to do. We work late hours to make up the difference and in the process precious moments with our families are missed. We take out loans to pay off overdue balances and pay dearly for years robbing us of vacations and fun outings. We push ourselves over the tops of the walls of safety and provision and find ourselves stuck inside the clutches of the greed as we try to do it all our way! 

When will we ever learn? Freedom and provision walk hand in hand with trust and believing. 

As my husband lifted the roof and the little sparrow flew away I thanked my Father for once again showing me just how much he cares for me. 

I Peter 5:7

“Cast all your (anxiety) cares on Him for he cares for you.”

It Makes Perfect ‘Cents’

 Today as I was randomly going through some coins looking for early silver ones, I ran across this 1998 Quarter. Now 1998 quarters are only worth 25 cents but this particular coin today held so much more valuable things to me now than it did 5 minutes ago.

You see, I found myself looking at it, examining it closely with a magnifying glass and turning it over and over. I thought to myself, “ what in the world has this quarter seen to make it look this bad! Scars and dents and mars and divets. Wow! If only this quarter could talk, it surely would be crying or moaning about it’s improper handling and care. George even looks like he taken a direct hit in the head! What stories it could probably tell. I mean, look at those edges, they are chewed and dented as if this coin was used as a tool or well I just can’t imagine. 

This dented and marred quarter certainly got me to thinking about my own life. Do I look the worse for the wear on the outside like this 23 year old quarter? Are my edges gashed and mis-shapened due to numerous accidents and mishaps? Are my scars visible to all who look at me? Does the wear and tear of my life exhibit itself for all to see? I certainly hope not! But this sad 1998 quarter is a beautiful illustration to me of how sometimes we wear our scars and they become “badges” so to speak of the hurts and the trials in our lives. Now, here’s something to note; this quarter, as beat up as it is, is still worth what it was created to be worth. It’s still worth 25 cents. It hasn’t lost its value!

Life can beat us up and life can beat us down but no one has to know. If we don’t bring it up or constantly remind them of our hurts and strugggles. Is it even necessary for everyone to be aware of our scars? Funny thing is in my humble opinion, if we constantly bring up our hurt and pain to the point that people begin to avoid us, and well, we could be in danger of devaluing ourselves. The thing

That we must always remember is that we are of great value to God and how we exhibit our lives reflects on Him! I for one want to be the shiny new looking coin in his pocket that brings him glory even though it is older and very used. The age of my coin might say 1954 but I want it to look like a 2021 coin, minted just recently. The world doesn’t have to be constantly reminded of our pain and hardships and we are of great value in Gods kingdom so, let your light shine and unlike this coin, let all who see it know that it’s shining bright in order to honor God. Don’t allow the ‘dings’ and ‘bruises’ and ‘gouges’ that this life can bring to be on display so that you can have others stroke you and take pity on you. 

Second note: just above George’s head it says “Liberty” and below his chin it says, “ In God We Trust”! So know this, even though you are worn, marred, scarred, scratched up, beaten or tattered, place your trust in God and shine for him regardless of what life has dealt to you. My friends, just like this coin, you hold value! And just like this coin proclaims, there is ‘Liberty “ for us all so let’s walk in that and SHINE!

Increase My Appetite

     I know in today’s world of slim, abstinence of and self restraint living it may seem very counter productive to ask the Lord in your prayer time to “ increase my appetite”. But I find that is the prayer on my lips every morning and one that stared me in the face with a visual clarity as I watched my squirrel friends feasting at my windowsill today. You see, I have this old chicken feeding trough that my husband mounted under the window of my sunroom where I sit and have my quiet times and watch nature sitting down for breakfast every morning. The squirrels come and literally sit next to me as I sip my coffee and they stuff their bellies with the black sunflower seeds that are supplied. As I sat watching this morning I was reminded of my prayer to “increase my appetite” as I watched a squirrel shoving seed in as fast as he could and noticing his belly that had grown so fat that he could hardly sit in the trough. 

I’m sure he was taking full advantage of the plentiful seed as he fattened himself up for the impending days of winter and it’s meager food supply. But I was also reminded of my prayer and it revealed a picture of Gods provision and how in the harder days that I was to approach things. 

I was asking God to increase my appetite for Him and the knowledge of things in His Word that I would need to know for the difficult days that seemed to be looming on the horizon. 

But here’s the truth of the matter:  if the squirrels didn’t come down from the trees seeking to find the black seed in that trough then it may have been harder for them to have what they needed for the cold winters days. Oh they would probably have had enough to get by but what if it were an extra harsh winter. Well they may not survive as is the course of nature sometimes. But they did have more than enough right now so they ate veraciously at the trough of blessing. We have at our fingertips the greatest treasure that will forever satisfy our hungry appetites and “fatten” our spirits if you will for any impending days of hard times but we fall short of climbing down from our comfortable trees of contented living to eat hungrily like the squirrels. We can’t seem to see the value of it like they do when preparing for winter. So we sit on our limbs of comfort and look at our bibles gathering dust on the tables of our contentnent and think that we have enough. But do we have enough. Are we ready when plenty and provision comes to an end? Will we be ready when sickness or death knocks on the doors of our dwelling places? Will we know what to do when we are at a crossroads of critical decisions of life? What if the coffers of cash ran dry? What if our secure jobs ended and weren’t so secure after all? 

All of these things are never expected or anticipated but that doesn’t stop them from happening when we least expect them to.

Last week, my precious mother went to be with her Jesus in heaven. As there were many tears at her bedside I found myself oddly standing there in a place of peace and joy. I felt guilty for a brief moment because I wasn’t crying but having these good feelings. But as suddenly as the guilt came i was reminded by the Lord of my veracious appetite of prayer and feasting on his Word in the impending months before her death. My appetite for more of Him had been satisfied with peace and joy at the moment I needed it most. It was the answer to the situation. It was the provision for the difficulty to come. 

So, today as I watch my friend the squirrel I am reminded to keep praying the prayer that begs me to “ increase my appetite”. The table of provision and promise and needs met will only be satisfied when we feast on his Word which gives us EVERYTHING we need for days to come. I pray that you will as well seek to pray that prayer. Then, pull up a chair my friends because you won’t go away hungry!

Psalm 63:1-5

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;

My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,

In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips will praise You.

So I will bless You as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

ROOM TO ESCAPE

Have you ever found yourself with lots of “downtime” on your hands on cold and bleak winter days? Well I know that sure has been the case for me. One of the things that I have found myself passing those dreary hours with is a game that I play on occasion on my phone. The game is one that challenges me to escape from different situations in different rooms, I love a good challenge and gathering the clues and solving the puzzles in order to get the key that unlocks the door for my escape, well, it’s stimulating to say the least. There are word clues, number clues, color clues and the list goes on  but I’m sure you get the point. It’s all about the thrill of the hunt I suppose, the pushing myself to find the answers so that I can reach the goal. It causes me to think outside the normal thought processes to see what is really “hidden in plain sight”. When the key finally appears and I place it in the door and it opens I can almost hear the theme to “Rocky ” playing. 

What is it about a game that can challenge us from the comfort of our chairs causing us to play on so that we can win or get to our destination point? We can’t seem to put it down until we achieve that goal yet, when life throws us a challenge we find ourselves lost at times, crumpled up in a heap on the floor in tears or in a pit of depression ready to give up? Why? What’s makes the difference? I know life is real and it’s not a game but the challenges we face are just that, challenges! What would it look like in real life if we met our challenges with as much tenacity and vigor as we do with those games? What if we viewed each small victory as something that propels us forward instead of allowing it to cripple us with anxiety. What if each small “clue” or hurdle that was accomplished propelled us towards the next one with a desire to get to the freedom that awaits us when we arrive at our goals? And there is an end! There is freedom and it just waits on our proper responses. 

In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus was just about to enter into his challenge if you will. His cousin John the Baptist has just been arrested so he moved towards Galilee and set to gathering the ones who would help him along the way. He called Simon and Andrew and they followed him then James and John and they likewise came. From there he went over all of Galilee finding synagogues and places to teach and touching all that needed healing.  More and more people came to hear him, momentum gathered . Then here’s the part that jumped out at me. It said, “when Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hill.(obstacles/trials) Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, (support team/small victories we are given) climbed with him”. Then the answers started pouring in. . . . He spoke:

-You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope, with less of you there is more of God and his rule in your life. 

-You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you, only then can you be embraced by the one most dear to you.

-You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

And the answers (clues) kept coming.

They were given the keys that day. Keys that would unlock doors to their freedom. They stayed, they listened, they heard what they must do and the key to their feeedom was handed to them. Who wouldn’t want the key! Isn’t that the goal? 

Then He wraps up the challenge in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”.

What a key! What a freedom when the door of those trials swing open to our victory! But, we must persist, we must be driven by his leadings in Matthew 5. He has made a way of escape if we follow through all the way to the end, never giving up but pushing through for your answers. He has provided! He will give help along the way. Please know that there is a key but you must persist! That door will open and you May very well hear the theme to “Rocky” as well! 

Matthew 24:13

“But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

”Peek A Boo” of the Father

Recently, on a trip to visit my elderly mom I was delighted when she gave me a large envelope that contained precious old photographs. There was one in the middle of the stack though that made me pause and then ultimately made me cry. You see, I lost my dad to COPD in 2004 and my world hasn't quite been the same since. He was that ”knight in shining armor” kind of dad that was always there when you needed him. He was a gentle giant if you will, who was somewhat content to stand a bit quietly in the background but was truly the mortar that kept all things secure. The photograph that opened the treasure box of emotions was one of my dad playing ” peek a boo” with me as a baby. When I saw that picture I somehow mentally ran through my life with him as if it were that whole ”life flashing before your eyes” moment. Everything about my time with him on this earth came flooding back to me in a few short seconds. Joy, laughter, dependency, love, security, trust, wisdom and faith. Among the myriad of memories one in particular was foremost to me. The term ’role model’ I recalled, best described my thoughts of dad. He wasn't perfect by any means but he always had his girls’ best interest at heart. He was a very good father and I was most blessed to learn and grow under his influence 

There was something else here as well that made its way into my thoughts. This picture of my dad and me was also a beautiful picture of my relationship with my heavenly father. Here's my thought. . . .  There are many times when I feel like my heavenly father is standing in the shadows of my life and he's there and then he's not. He's real but hiding some how, or at least it seems staying at a distance so I can't feel him or sense him. Much like my real dad playing peek a boo, darting back and forth .Now Im well aware that God’s always there but it feels sometimes like he's disappeared. I know instinctively though that he will pop back into my life and reveal himself. 

I read somewhere that the early developmental years of a child are super important. And strangely enough the simple game of peek a boo helps the child go from complete trust and dependency on the parent to trusting that they will come back after hiding. This part helps the child grow in the development of their independence. So, the game  of peek a boo is not just entertaining and fun but it's doing something important in the development of your childs personality. Who knew? 

So, keeping all that in mind, when we feel like God is hiding in the shadows with us, just playing peek a boo, remember that just like a loving parent, he hasn't gone anywhere. He lovingly stands back while we learn a very important lesson in our development. He stands back while we learn to trust Him more. He never leaves but watches and at the most crucial and divine moment he's there again. Sounds a bit crazy huh! But just remember this. . . . . It's meaningful and it's doing something in us. It's building trust, faith and probably wisdom and our heavenly father/role model knows exactly what we need.

Jeremiah 32:19

“great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

UP NOT IN

Have you ever noticed a little baby when someone other than their mother or father are holding them? When the parent comes near, the babies arms just fly upward signaling the parent to ”take me, hold me, give me what I need”. They know instinctively where their help and comfort comes from. 

God is not dead, he does not sleep. God does not even get tired so we need to rest and relax in knowing he's got everything in his care. 

Gods strength will always provide us with just what we need for today's problems, burdens and issues. We should never try to take tomorrows problems, burdens and issues and work through them today because God has not yet equipped you for tomorrow. He equips us for coping today with today's realities. He will always be at your side, ready to bear you up and tomorrow He will do the same. He will give us the strength that we need for that day.

When our minds tend to wander over the border into tomorrows realities, the worlds response that we've heard echo in our heads a million times will sweep in to try and take over. It will tell us to ”reach deep down inside yourself and you will find the strength you need within your own self to get through”. Or it may say, ”you can do this because you are great and strong and amazing”. Now, while our heavenly Father may think all of His children are amazing, I’m here to tell you that according to Romans 7:18, we’re not. It says, ”For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”

God assures us though in Isaiah 40 that even when the youngest and strongest have the strength to keep going or overcoming their obstacles that He (The Lord) will give us the strength we need for that day to get through. We can do nothing in our own strength that will yield victorious results like what God can do in us. He never gets tired. We may even feel our outward bodies wasting away but inwardly God is renewing us day by day. He comes to us through His Word in answer to our pleas or our outstretched arms. He bears us up on ’eagles wings’ the Word says. 

The World may tell us to ’reach down deep inside ourselves for reserves of strength and energy’ but the Word straight from the one who created us and knows us best invites us to ”reach up to the Lord for His supply of strength”. He has plenty to spare and he's only too happy to share because He loves us so. . . . . 

His mercies for us are new every morning and looking to ourselves or someone else to receive will never yield lasting results. They may give us momentary gratification but at some point they will fail. Why not lift our arms up to call the only one who can ever rescue us. Reach up not in!