Wednesday, April 30, 2008

All That I Need

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

Some things tend to push me over the edge. Rudeness and unprofessional behavior are two and this week I experienced both. Change is never easy and this proved true once again. In an effort to be on top of things, I decided to make some financial changes. I expected some resistance and was not disappointed. As I prayed for wisdom, I asked God to specifically speak to me because I dreaded the necessary conversation with my financial advisor. Turning to the daily reading in my devotional, Closer Walk New Testament, I found this prayer at the end of the scripture; "Father, sometimes I too can see ahead situations I would rather avoid, circumstances I would rather run from, and people I simply don't want to deal with. I praise you that just as you gave Jesus the strength and courage he needed, you will do as much for me. I praise you for the promise that your divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. I know that includes the courage I need. Truly your grace is sufficient for all that I face." As the day progressed, He gave me the grace to speak with clarity and the ability to be resolute in my decisions. I know that God observes all that we say and do but it was nice to receive an email of confirmation later in the day from an interested party to the whole matter. It was a good reminder that nothing we say or do goes unnoticed. Thank you, Lord, for giving me all that I need.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

The Gardener

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4 (NIV)

I am not much of a gardener. In fact, for years I have paid people to be the keepers of all the green stuff that surrounded my house. But, in Arizona, small rocks of various shades of brown surround me—by design! In fact, we cannot even have grass. The landscaper added a few shrubs and trees but that is not my area to manage and I still have to call a couple of times a year for someone to do general maintenance. So to soothe my need for color and green, I have some pots, which I change out seasonally. In addition, I am a great weed killer. I know that Mark secretly chuckles when he sees me roaming the yard with my spray bottle of Roundup. However, it gives me great satisfaction to watch my pots bloom and flourish and survey my weed-free domain. I know from the little gardening that I do that if I want more flowers instead of just dead stems, I have to do some pruning. The drip system must also be working properly and the weeds kept under control. Jesus, the ultimate gardener, tells his disciples in John 15 about the importance of the branch remaining attached to the vine. Without that connection, the branch is useless. He was using an everyday situation to explain a heavenly thought. We are those branches that must stay connected to Him, our vine, if we want to bear any fruit. Last week when I spoke to the MOPS group, I was tired both physically and emotionally and felt like I really had nothing to give to those girls. I knew that I needed that connection to my source of life if there was going to be any fruit. I found an out-of-the-way room and prayed asking God to give me His supernatural strength and His words. And, He did! Many girls spoke with me afterwards of the hope that they had received. Thank you, Lord, for the life-giving power that comes from remaining in You.

The Gardener

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4 (NIV)

I am not much of a gardener. In fact, for years I have paid people to be the keepers of all the green stuff that surrounded my house. But, in Arizona, small rocks of various shades of brown surround me—by design! In fact, we cannot even have grass. The landscaper added a few shrubs and trees but that is not my area to manage and I still have to call a couple of times a year for someone to do general maintenance. So to soothe my need for color and green, I have some pots, which I change out seasonally. In addition, I am a great weed killer. I know that Mark secretly chuckles when he sees me roaming the yard with my spray bottle of Roundup. However, it gives me great satisfaction to watch my pots bloom and flourish and survey my weed-free domain. I know from the little gardening that I do that if I want more flowers instead of just dead stems; I have to do some pruning. The drip system must also be working properly and the weeds kept under control. Jesus, the ultimate gardener, tells his disciples in John 15 about the importance of the branch remaining attached to the vine. Without that connection, the branch is useless. He was using an everyday situation to explain a heavenly thought. We are those branches that must stay connected to Him, our vine, if we want to bear any fruit. Last week when I spoke to the MOPS group, I was tired both physically and emotionally and felt like I really had nothing to give to those girls. I knew that I needed that connection to my source of life if there was going to be any fruit. I found an out-of-the-way room and prayed asking God to give me His supernatural strength and His words. And, He did! Many girls spoke with me afterwards of the hope that they had received. Thank you, Lord, for the life-giving power that comes from remaining in You.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

You did it!


Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. Philippians 1:3-6 (The Message)

You might have thought that I dropped off the face of the earth if you read this blog on a regular basis. Nope. We had friends visit us for several days early in the month and then we jumped into preparations for a trip to California for a week, returning a couple of days ago. My middle granddaughter, Tori, celebrated her sixth birthday and Nana and Papa arrived just in time for the big party. I listened to their chatter and learned all about someone named Hannah Montana and another one called Miley Cyrus (shows my age group!) The girls danced all around the living room to her music and Papa gave Allie, the three-year-old, a twirl around the floor which both thoroughly enjoyed. We observed that our eight year old, Kate, has become quite the horsewoman after watching her lesson. And, it was with great delight that we watched our son-in-law experience his first week of work at his new job. Thank you, Lord! One of the reasons for this trip included a speaking gig to my old MOPS group. I love those girls and have wonderful memories of the six years I spent as their Mentor Mom. Even now, I glance over at a mug given to me that day inscribed by so many of the girls. My heart swells with joy, love, and thanks to see that they continue to follow the Lord, their children are growing up healthy and whole, their marriages are strong, and their friendships are meaningful. I echo the Apostle Paul's confidence in those he had ministered to over the years. I knew you would do it!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Special Gift

Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble. Proverbs 17:17 (The Message)


I love it when friends come to visit. We said goodbye yesterday after four days of great fun with some good friends from California. When you share your home, meals, and everyday life with others, a bond develops from those shared experiences that lasts a lifetime. I know that I can call when times are good or times are hard. They love me even when my hair is a mess, no make-up, and dressed in sweats or all dressed up in my finest. Friendship is a true blessing from God that shows us in living color the kind of relationship we can have with Him. He is always available—in good times or bad. He loves to listen to us talk with Him and wants us to listen in return. He doesn't care whether we have it all together or are a mess. He likes nothing better than a good meal served up for us from His Word. And, the best part is He will never leave us or forget about us. He just loves us. I encourage you to thank God for those folks that you call "friends." They are a special gift from your Heavenly Father.