Can you believe it?

July has gone. Traditional summer has been overwhelmed with the flood and after-effects.

Our town fairs have been cancelled, the parks unusable because of the mud.

But still,life goes on. This isn't the end but a new season.

In the agricultural days, floods were expected. As the rivers receded, they left silt and new fertilizer for the growing fields. A cleansing of the earth that was a preparation of a new time of growth and then harvest.

It's that way with trials and tribulations. We can just sit and wait for the ending or we can ask God, what am I suppose to learn from this? Let me know now so that I can get out of this situation quicker.

Things and circumstances are taken out of our lives. The old ground in our hearts is fertilized by contrition, plowed by brokenness and Spirit planted seeds begin to grow and flourish.

We wait for Your new hope to spring up within these stony hearts. Thanks Lord.


Ooooh and I just learned something new, thankfully.

Remember in the garden, when satan lured Adam and Eve into eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?

Did you ever realize that the Tree of Life was there too? Satan did not want them to eat of that fruit, which would have left them in a perfect state for eternity, before they tasted the tree of knowledge. God, in His perfect wisdom, did not want us to eat of the Tree of Life after we had eaten of the tree of knowledge, which would have left us in a state of sin for eternity. Hence, the banishment from the garden!

How amazing is that?

NOW!

I don't know who this verse is for, but it certainly spoke to me today. It's full of God's love, peace and hope. It's a hug from God for someone today. I'll take it myself but I hope that everyone who reads this will feel the embrace of God Himself.


God only acts when we have faith. If our faith is sure and steady, we will see Him move any mountain in our lives.

A favorite quote of mine is "Without God, man can do nothing; without man, God will do nothing."

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. -- Hebrews 11:1

God is the God of Now! Don't wait for another day, it may never come. Faith is now! Freedom is now! Love is now! The opportunity is NOW! It may never come again. Lost opportunities are so sad and grievous.


Build your hope in God for He will never let you down.

To Cyberspace....

Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God, will come to know God because they know you.

Live, Love, and Laugh.

Hurray!

Looks like I have a temp job for a few weeks (maybe longer). Our town highway garage flooded out and they need help separating the paper files to be copied.

God provides. He has something in mind for me (and everyone) and it would do us well just to be patient and wait upon Him. I had an opportunity to go to a clambake today where a lot of potential employers were hanging out.

I prayed befor I left was that an opportunity would arise and He would direct my steps. The only employer that talked to me was the one I have right now and told me that he may need me longer than 3 weeks. Hallelujah!

It may not be the job of my dreams (He knows about that) but it'll do for the time being until the other job is ready for me.

"Be still and know that I am God". I need that verse. He comes through.

We Was Jammin'!

Finally got our group back together and jammed last night.

I've sooo missed the sounds of a lead guitar and harmonica. I think we played about 30 or 40 songs.

Of course, we had a 'killer' bass player (me)! If only I had my new strings so that I could reach the 'cellar'. (We play in my basement but the bass 'b' string is so low that they call it the 'cellar')

All of our fingers were cramped when we got done four hours later. Good thing I had the coffee and brownies ready.

I'm off to work today. I'm helping dry papers at the town highway office.

Got to go get my tetnus shot at 9, though. Not looking forward to that.

Have a blessed day, everyone!

Decisions...decisions...

In Joshua 3:15, he says "Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest." Jericho was taken at harvest time.

The flood is all that distracts us from our deliverance and the harvest of souls.

We need to cross over the Jordan, keeping focused on Jesus (Priest in the middle of the river on dry ground).

Do we let the 'Jordan's flood waters' keep us from pursuing God's vision for His church? Or do we take Jericho?

Interrupted Lives

For the last two days I've helped the flood victims.

My pastor preached on the Good Samaritan yesterday. His sermon was titled "Who Cares". He motivated 61 people to show up at a rescue center to help devastated families after church. We interrupted our schedules to help those who we couldn't recognize. There were no smiling faces or laughter...just despair and grief.

We made a difference. We hauled, moved, loaded, cleaned, sorted and comforted. Our efforts seemed like ants moving a monumental mountain.

Today, the volunteers were less. There are less supplies. Gloves and bug spray are running low. Masks are in short supply.

But God provides. There's that word...but. But, God. He has made all the difference. He is present in every hug, handshake, surprised hope...everything.

As my hauling partner and I were going back to the headquarters, we came across an automobile accident. On the ground sat a young woman, just crying and shaking. I ran to her and just hugged her.

She'd lost everything, borrowed a car and headed to the church for more clorox to clean with. Along came an elderly driver and t-boned their borrowed car.

Her shaking voice just kept saying "I want my life back". It's a nightmare that the people want to wake from. I just wanted to hold her and make it all go away for her.

I don't know her name but she was ok. She calmed a bit and talked to me. Finally, I asked if I could pray with her and she just shuddered and grabbed onto me and nodded. I hope my words were led by the Spirit and were encouraging to her. It sounded like jibberish to me. Thankfully we have the Holy Spirit who shows the Father what our heart is really saying. He's the Great Interceder.

"Can I pray with you?" are words that make the stoniest heart bleed. A fresh round of tears were torn from her soul. It was her darkest hour but also the most hopeful. Pray for her salvation.

Hug someone today. It doesn't matter what color their skin is or if they're American or Iranian. It all comes down to this one fact: we're all people with needs.

There is no defense against love.

Show and Tell...

My favorite shrub...flowering dogwood. It's dark red bark stays through the winter. I trimmed it back to make room for the flagstone walkway and now it's re-blooming!

This is what the birds left for me from their spring feeding. The bumblebee is reaping a harvest and after it goes to seed the birds will finish it off. Amazing cycle of life.

My pointelle (?sp). I just planted it this morning. It blooms all summer.

The world that God created for us is so full of color. The cycles of life correspond to His cycle of creation...growth, bloom, death. But death doesn't have a hold on those who believe in His Son, Jesus. As the flower dies, it's seed falls to the ground where it is fed by the water and nutrients, then is reborn into a new plant that grows and blooms.

As we realize that Jesus is the only way to real Life, we die to our self and walk in the ways of God. We are buried, nurtured with the water of the Spirit and the Word of the Bible, then bloom again in the knowledge of eternal life with Him in heaven.

Well Spring of Life

Wash me from my sins, O God.

Create in me a pure heart.

We've had tons of water in this area of land. The river looks as if it's dead, there is so much mud.

But, God regenerates everything He's made. The particles and debris will be filtered out. In a week's time, it will be running sparkling clear.

The mud soaked grass will be springing back up to touch the sun. The short rainfalls will cleanse the bushes and highways. Flowers have bloomed through muddied buds, creating a blooming mass of flowered browned leaves.

Birds of all kinds are questioning the homeowners, wondering why the bird feeders are empty. They'll be refilled soon.

What has been lost to the enemy will be taken back. He cannot hold onto what is good because it comes back to the Father.

In a month's time, cleanup will still continue but what we've gone through won't seem so bad. The stories will remain burned in our memories, but life goes on.

Next year, it'll be the talk of the Flood of 2006. We've named the disaster. History is past, the future yet to come.

We mustn't hold onto despair but release it to fly away to the next level of living.

All things work together for good, for those who are in Christ Jesus. Even the bad, tough, rough and awful.

Soul Reunion

It's taken me 53 years to discover my identity. It's in Christ. Only through Him have I been able to accept me.

I went to my 35th high school reunion over the weekend. Only a small turnout but we had time to talk to each other and remember the 'good' old days.

Those days were full of pursuing acceptance from each other. With clothing, hair styles, pierced ears we tried to 'fit' into the societal hierarchy within our class. How much of a jock you were, dictated the number of females chasing you. Cheerleaders always seemed to win out.

After graduation, things started getting more difficult. Fitting into the world that has already grown up, challenged the most astute high school graduate. All of a sudden, we were at the bottom again.

Talking with someone at the reunion, she remarked how fortunate my husband and I were with our 35 year marriage. She asked "What do you regret?"

"Nothing." It just slipped out.

"Not even one? I always wanted another child so I have that regret?"

"Nope. Everthing that has happened to me, even the bad things or the wrong road chosen, have made me who I am today." And I'm pretty happy with me at the moment, even with all my faults. My character has been transformed. I know that when I discover something about me that I don't like, it will change.

Think back on that conversation, I realized how true that statement was. I did sinful and wrong things that I'm sorry about, but don't regret them. I would never have know how perfect Jesus is without them. I'm still short, still a little bottom heavy, but that isn't the 'me' that I see today. I am what I feel, think, say and believe. My faith has sharpened and honed my character, transforming my thinking of eternal, not external treasures.

God is so awesome. His praise should always be in my heart, if not on my lips. The Great Potter knows His plans and He has shaped me for today. Tomorrow I may look, see, feel, be different than today, but I have learned that it is for my benefit and His Glory.

Yes, I am today much closer to the Kingdom of God, especially since I've left my desires of yesterday behind.

It's All About Hope

Hope deferred makes the heart sick.

Yes, it's Biblical. When you hope and hope and hope and hope for something that doesn't come, you have the tendency to give up. Despair and unbelief take the place of a joyful expectation of a desire fulfilled.
The Founding Fathers of the United States of America had a dream. The hope started with a desire to worship God in a biblical way that wasn't allowed at their time. Persecution led to inspiration, the inspiration of freedom.

It wasn't freedom to do anything you please, it was freedom to make choices.

As Americans, we are free to choose a lot of things, some good, some bad. If we choose the right things the results will show. If we choose unwisely, we suffer the consequences. We have a lot of freedoms. Where they take us only God knows. We have chosen God in the past, let's choose God for the future. He is the only hope we have. He has made it plain with His Word.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. II Chronicles 7:14-15

Yes, God Bless America, my home sweet home.

Sunday Sunday

This is a new day. A fresh opportunity to start over.

May it be friendships, jobs, loved ones or a new life, we've been given mercy to go forward without remorse or regret about the past.

In the northeast, we seem to be able to pick up ourselves faster than those who don't have the resources living within a large city, such as New Orleans.
People in the flooded areas are already cleaning out their basements and houses, seeing what is salvageable and what isn't. Backhoes and plows are removing the mud that had swamped homes, cars and businesses. Huge water tankers are washing down roads and parking lots.


Even Burger King and McDonalds have re-opened with bottled water and port-a-johns. The resilience of the human nature is astounding.

Whatever material loss there is, can be replaced; other than personal momentoes. But even those cannot be wiped out of your mind. Maybe that's why God gave us memories. Everything else can be destroyed by moth and mold.

But the Lord has given us promises. If we hold true to His Son, Jesus, He will see us through everything. We have a bright future, eternity with Him, where there will be no more tears or pain. One day at a time, Sweet Jesus, that's all we're asking from You.

Here is what the sunset looked like last night.
Don't you think it holds the promise of a brighter day today?