People Pleaser

Are you a people pleaser? Do you go out of your way to please everyone and then complain when they don’t appreciate it? Do you worry about what people think about you? Are you afraid they will no longer like you if you don’t go above and beyond to help them? We talked about this in our Sunday night Home Group recently.

A lot of people have a fear of rejection. Some will do anything to get the approval of others even if it means wearing themselves out and neglecting their own families or their own needs in the process. When will we learn that we can’t please everyone? Even Jesus couldn’t please the people who knew him best. He wasn’t accepted in his own hometown.

"Jesus told them, 'A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.' Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that’s all. He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching." Mark 6:4-6 The Message

I’m sure Jesus wasn’t trying to please people for He only wanted to please His Heavenly Father. It seemed no matter what He did; how many people He healed, the people could not be pleased. Maybe we should quit trying to please everyone else and just do the will of our Heavenly Father.

It’s pretty easy to please our Heavenly Father. It’s much easier than it is to please other people. And, after all, being pleasing to Him is all that really matters when this life is over.

“And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each day’s problems; live in vital union with him. Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done.” Colossians 2:6-7 TLB

Blondie

There has been a yellow cat at our door the same time every evening. He sits outside and looks through the glass door at our black cat, Ms. Kitty. Our neighbor feels sorry for him and feeds him before he makes his way to our door.

Seeing him, I'm reminded of another yellow kitten who came to our back door many, many years ago......She was such a tiny, scrawny, little yellow kitten. And, her "meow" was so weak. She was sitting at our screen door looking longingly with those beautiful green eyes. I was hooked from that moment!

"Can I give her just a little milk, please?"

"You know if you do, Sis, she won't go home where she belongs."

"But, Daddy, what if she doesn't have a home?"

"Well, she came here from somewhere and she needs to go back," was his reply.

So, I sat down in front of the screen door just to talk to her. She rubbed against the door and began purring. In about thirty minutes, I suppose my Mother and Daddy had decided I wasn't going to give up so Mother brought a little milk in a saucer. I opened the door and she sat the saucer down. Immediately, the saucer was licked clean and kitty was begging for more.

Daddy came outside; picked the kitten up and looking her over determined she didn't have fleas, so I was allowed to go out on the porch and play with her. She was my first and sweetest pet, I named her Blondie, and I loved her dearly.

Blondie and I spent a lot of hours playing. I was eight years old and loved playing with my dolls. I had some doll clothes that just fit Blondie and she would lay very still while I dressed her up, including tying a little bonnet on her head.

Blondie just exactly fit in my little doll buggy. So, after dressing her up; placing her in the buggy, she and I made a lot of trips up and down the sidewalk in front of our house. Never once did she jump out; never once did she scratch me when I dressed her up. If there ever was a perfect pet, Blondie was. All Blondie wanted to do in life was please me; her master.

We buried Blondie in the back corner of our yard a few years later.

Daddy found a box just the right size and I dressed her in a little doll dress complete with bonnet and we laid her to rest under the spirea bushes.

How willing are we to please our Master? When He returns for us will we be like the song says "dressed in His righteousness"?

"When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne." William Bradbury-1863

"Good night, Mother......."

“Don’t cha’ guess it’s about bedtime, Mother? It’s been a pretty long day. I’ve got quite a bit of work ahead of me in the office in the morning and I’m beat tonight.”

She would be 95 in less than four months and she had been living alone since my daddy passed in 1984. Mother was staying with us for a few days after experiencing a fall. We had made a couple of trips to the doctor and his diagnosis was that Mother had just experienced a lot of birthdays, which was a nice way of saying that old age had crept upon her and her heart just wasn’t what it once was.

“For some reason, I’m not a bit sleepy”, Mother replied, “and, that’s kinda unusual for me.”

As I helped her get ready for bed, we talked about her five g-grandchildren and how much they were loved and how fast they were growing.

I sat down on her bed after tucking her in. Mother was little in stature and she looked so small under that cover. I tucked the cover around her and she smiled at me.

“Wish I was sleepy,” she mentioned again, “and wish I felt better.”

We talked a bit longer and then I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “It’ll all be better in the morning”, I said as I turned out her light, turned on the monitor and headed for my bedroom. “Good night, I love you.”

“I love you, too, Sis,” she replied.

We kept a baby monitor beside our beds so I could hear her in the night if she needed me.

About 7:00 a.m., I awoke and John was awake.

“Guess I’ll get up and make coffee”, he said.

“I’ll get in the shower then.” I replied.

John was always so good to my Mother and she loved him like her own son. So, he went into her room to see if she was asleep. She was resting peacefully; the covers rising up and down with her breathing so he tiptoed out to make coffee.

I jumped in the shower and as I was getting out, John came rushing in.

“I checked on your mother again and she’s not breathing!”

Quickly, I grabbed my robe and we rushed into her room.

The last words I said to her the night before, “It’ll all be better in the morning,” were prophetic and I didn’t realize it until now.

Yes, for her it was better that morning because she had taken her last breath on this earth, knowing she was loved, and she had awaken in the loving arms of her Savior.

That was 15 years ago today. I miss my mother but I know that she is enjoying her Heavenly home and I know I will see her again someday.

I love Proverbs 31:10-31 about the virtuous woman. Starting in verse 25, in The Living Bible describes my mother: “She is a woman of strength and dignity and has no fear of old age. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule for everything she says. She watches carefully all that goes on throughout her household and is never lazy. Her children stand and bless her; so does her husband. He praises her with these words: “There are many fine women in the world, but you are the best of them all!” Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn’t last, but a woman who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised. Praise her for the many fine things she does. These good deeds of hers shall bring her honor and recognition from people of importance.”

Vacation Down the Tubes

I see pictures from friends who have enjoyed their recent vacations and I'm taken back to the time when our girls were still at home. This time of year when the cold winds were blowing, we would begin discussing where we wanted to go on vacation.

Summer arrived and preparations for our vacation was complete. We would leave the next day for two weeks in sunny Florida. The girls were excited; I was excited; suitcases were packed and all we needed now was for morning to arrive.
 

Finally, John was home from work and we knew because of the look on his face, all was not well. It seems there was "a cog in the machinery" as they say and because of something unforeseen, our vacation was on hold. To say we were disappointed was putting it mildly. The girls were crushed; couldn't understand why we had to wait and moped around the next few days complaining and griping. Our family learned quickly when you own a business or have elderly parents, it means plans can never be set in concrete.

Have you ever had plans go down the tube? What was your reaction? Do you ever consider that there is a reason for the plan change? Perhaps we were saved from an accident that might have happened had we left that morning? Or could it have been the weather would be better at a later date? Most of the time, we had no idea why our plans didn't come to pass
.
How do you react when the places you want to go or the things you hope will happen soon don't develop? Do you gripe and complain? Do you blame others? Or can you accept that it just wasn't in God's plan for that time?

I think God wants us to make plans. He wants us to plan for a future but He also wants us to be able to accept without grumbling when things don't work out exactly as we have planned and realize that He is in control of our lives.

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

An Old Can of Play-doh

You know, there isn't anything very pretty about a can of Play- doh when a child has squished together several different colors and then it's just an ugly, gunky mess.

This is the way our lives are until God takes hold of them. Play- doh, unto it's self has no aspirations. Until it is in the hands of the Creator, it will be nothing.

I found an old can of Play-doh while cleaning out a closet. When I opened it and took it in my hands, I discovered it was nothing but a wad of dried out gunk. It wasn't pliable; it wouldn't give when I squeezed it; it was like a rock.
 

Our hearts can be like that old wad of Play-doh; dried up, hard and difficult to do anything with. I probably could have added a bit of water to that old worthless piece of gunk and it would have become pliable again. If we allow the Holy Spirit within us to soften our heart, He can make it pliable again and make us useful in His kingdom.

But, sometimes we like to inform God what we think we are most useful for rather than allowing God to mold us into His will. We think we know our strengths and weaknesses and we like to tell God what we can and cannot do.

Sometimes, God doesn't want us to be the "shiniest crystal goblet in the kitchen". Sometimes the work He has for us to do may be very humbling. However, He knows where He can use us for His glory in spite of our weaknesses. All we have to do is be willing to be pliable in His hands.

"In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing." 2 Timothy 2:20-21 MSG

Your Life Reflects Your True Priorities

"How you live your life reflects your true priorities. Suppose you talk to God about both the small things, as well as the big ones you face each and every day. And suppose you make plans for your future based on the big picture of eternity, instead of the small snapshot of daily life. Then, chances are, you're trying to keep God number one in your life". Inspired Faith

When we were much younger, we use to spend a lot of time talking about what we wanted to do when our girls were raised or when we retired. Now that both of those things have occurred and we have reached the last years of our lives, planning for the future is a bit different. It's too late to financially plan for the future; too late to concern ourselves with buying a lot of new things because things aren't that important to us anymore. Traveling in our motor home was really enjoyable in our younger years. Now, it serves as a good bedroom for extra company. We would rather sit and talk about the trips we made rather than the ones we could make.

One thing it's never to late to plan for though is our eternity. It's wonderful when that question is settled at a very young age when a person has the rest of their lives to live for Him. But, our Savior is ready to accept anyone who wants to come to Him for salvation.

Have you made those permanent plans; the plans for where you will spend eternity?

"I have written this to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are sure of this, that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. " 1 John 5:13-14 (TLB)

Disappointments in Life

I see pictures from friends who have enjoyed their recent vacations and I'm taken back to the time when our girls were still at home. This time of year when the cold winds were blowing, we would begin discussing where we wanted to go on vacation.

Summer arrived and preparations for our vacation was complete. We would leave the next day for two weeks in sunny Florida. The girls were excited; I was excited; suitcases were packed and all we needed now was for morning to arrive.
 

Finally, John was home from work and we knew because of the look on his face, all was not well. It seems there was "a cog in the machinery" as they say and because of something unforeseen, our vacation was on hold. To say we were disappointed was putting it mildly. The girls were crushed; couldn't understand why we had to wait and moped around the next few days complaining and griping. Our family learned quickly when you own a business or have elderly parents, it means plans can never be set in concrete.

Have you ever had plans go down the tube? What was your reaction? Do you ever consider that there is a reason for the plan change? Perhaps we were saved from an accident that might have happened had we left that morning? Or could it have been the weather would be better at a later date? Most of the time, we had no idea why our plans didn't come to pass.

How do you react when the places you want to go or the things you hope will happen soon don't develop? Do you gripe and complain? Do you blame others? Or can you accept that it just wasn't in God's plan for that time?

I think God wants us to make plans. He wants us to plan for a future but He also wants us to be able to accept without grumbling when things don't work out exactly as we have planned and realize that He is in control of our lives.

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

OCD

When Daughter # 2 was about 8 years old, I thought perhaps we had an OCD child. She would get up each morning during the school year; get ready for school, make her bed placing each stuffed animal and doll in exactly the same place each day. After breakfast, she would sit down at the piano and practice until time for school. Now, when she reached her teen years, it was a different story. She wasn't OCD after all.

I'm not OCD by any stretch of the imagination. However, three things I regularly do every morning. I make our bed (well, except for Sunday when I might want an afternoon nap) and I clean our kitchen and bathroom. When those three things are done, all's right with my little world. My husband is even good at cleaning the stove and microwave. And, if there are water spots on the faucet, he dutifully cleans and shines those.

I was thinking this morning as I wiped the counter tops that if I spent as much time being sure my heart was clean as I spend cleaning our home, perhaps God would be more pleased with me.

"Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires. " Psalm 51:10Living Bible (TLB)

Spring Cleaning

Spring is right around the corner and time to do some spring cleaning.

I could probably fill several trash bags in our attic alone. But, there are things in the attic that somehow we just can't seem to part with. Is sin like that? We don't even realize that it's hindering our lives so we fail to get rid of it.

Perhaps this spring I need to concentrate more on cleaning out the attic of my heart ; getting rid of any unforgiveness, greed or malice, than concentrating on things in our home that are seen.

"Stop being mean, bad-tempered, and angry. Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ." Ephesians 4:31-32 Living Bible
What's hiding in the attic of your heart?

Load of Apples

"Hey, here comes dad with that load of apples, Little John", Big Howie said, "reckon you know what that means, huh?"

"You bet I do. It means I get 'ta eat with you again and get some of your mom's apple pie," replied Little John.

"Yea, but 'member what else 'at means? 'At means more of 'em sliced apples Mom puts out to dry 'ats what it means. Yum....yum!"

Big Howie's mom was a wonderful cook. Big Howie's dad would drive to Texas and bring back a truck load of apples to sell the locals. Big Howie's mom always got some of the fruit for their own use.

"Hey, you let me know when your mom gets 'ta 'em apples sliced, okay?"

"You betcha I will and we'll have full tummies 'fer shore," said Big Howie.

Big Howie's mom would spend the better part of the day slicing apples to dry. Then, she would climb up to the roof of the well house; lay the apple slices out; cover them with a clean sheet and wait for a few days until they were just the right consistency to put away.

About three days later, Big Howie came running over to Little John's home.

"Hey, Little John, she put 'em apples up on the roof 'dis yesterday. I think they're a 'bout right 'fer us 'ta eat."

So, Little John and Big Howie snuck past the house, quickly hid behind the well house and made their way to the well house roof. They pulled back the sheet and began to devour mom's sliced apples.

Of course, when Big Howie's mom climbed the ladder to claim the dried apples in a couple of days, to her surprise, the rooftop was almost devoid of apples. Do you think Big Howie's mom knew what happened to her apples? Of course, she did. Do you think Little John and Big Howie owned up to stealing them? Of course they didn't.

How many of us think we are getting by with things? How many of us think God either doesn't see or doesn't care when we steal? Oh, it may be just a pen or some paper from work. It may be we steal time when we should be doing the work we are getting paid to do? Is anyone guilty of stealing another's spouse? Do we steal from God by not giving Him our tithe?

Anyone who thinks, like Little John and Big Howie, that they are fooling God is very wrong.

What are you stealing? What are you trying to hide from God?

"Can anyone hide from me? Am I not everywhere in all of heaven and earth? Jeremiah 23:24-25 Living Bible

Ox In The Ditch

Sometimes our ox gets in the ditch.

"They were silent. So he took the man, healed him, and sent him on his way. Then he said, “Is there anyone here who, if a child or animal fell down a well, wouldn’t rush to pull him out immediately, not asking whether or not it was the Sabbath?” They were stumped. There was nothing they could say to that.” Luke 14:5 The Message

I was thinking yesterday morning that ice was predicted to cover our area making travel difficult. I remember back a couple or three years ago when we had an ice storm. We had been in for several days and John was about ready to climb the walls. He hadn't been to the mailbox in 3-4 days because of the ice. This day, he was bound and determined that he was going to get in the pickup; drive to the mailbox and return with a handful of mail.

It wasn’t the Sabbath or our ox that was in a ditch but our pickup. Back then my husband would have “man-handled” that pickup and pushed it out of the ditch himself. However, as age creeps up, we find there are times when we can’t do things on our own but we have to call for assistance; particularly if said pickup is setting against a fence with ice under all four wheels.

This incident made me think of the many, many times we take matters into our own hands and try to get our ox out of the ditch without any help. We have an idea that we feel is wonderful and should be implemented at once without thought of the stress or strain that it might bring. We forge ahead without first taking time to pray about our idea. We think God couldn’t possible find any fault with our idea and we can handle it on our own. However, with age hopefully comes wisdom and we realize that, under our own strength and without God’s help, our ideas can be a disaster.

How many times do you forge ahead of God? How many times do you fail to ask Him for guidance before attempting something on your own? How many mistakes and heartaches could be avoided if, like my husband did, we just call for help. Our help this time was in the form of a good neighbor who came at once and pulled our “ox out of the ditch”.

Thank you, Todd Summers, for coming to our rescue.

Turning off the T.V

“I’m turning the TV off. I think I am on overload with all of the bad news, politics, etc. I think I can find something better to do” I say, as I pick up the control and hit the power button.

As I watch the news or listen to some of the news talk shows, I am reminded about the shape of our whole world. If there are any good news stories, they are few and far between. There is so much turmoil in our country and other countries; wars, terrorists, people killing each other over little things, road rage, etc. Then there are the earthquakes, the droughts, and now snow and ice storms covering the south and the eastern coast; People stranded on the roads, power outages everywhere and people who are frustrated by their plight there.

As I was reading in the Psalms today, I couldn’t help but wonder what God might be thinking as He looks at His children. Those who are not believers have every right to worry because they don’t have the assurance of God’s protection. But, Believers have God’s word that tells us He is in control of all that goes on here on the earth. Psalm 2 tells us that God sets in Heaven and laughs. I’m sure He is amused ,but I am also sure that He is very disappointed when His children have so little faith in Him, they worry about everything that happens.

“Why are the nations so shaken up and the people planning foolish things? The kings of the earth stand in a line ready to fight, and all the leaders are against the Lord and against His Chosen One. They say, “Let us break their chains and throw them away from us.” He Who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord makes fun of them.” Psalm 2:2-4 NLV

How is your faith? What is your worry level? How much faith do you put in God’s ability to control all things in your life?

“God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble! There is a river of joy flowing through the city of our God—the sacred home of the God above all gods. God himself is living in that city; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help. The nations rant and rave in anger—but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin. The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us. He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us. Come, see the glorious things that our God does, how he brings ruin upon the world and causes wars to end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon. “Stand silent! Know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation in the world!” The Commander of the heavenly armies is here among us! He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us!” Psalm 46 TLB

The Opportunity Book

Edith Lovejoy Pierce once said " Years come and go. Are we growing and making a difference in the time God has given us? We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day."

I heard someone say on television a few mornings ago that we are now to that point in the year where the resolutions we made New Years Day have been forgotten. What about the resolutions you made or did you make any? Are the pages blank in your Making a Difference book so far? Have you already closed the Opportunity book and put it back on the shelf telling yourself you don't have time or energy to look for opportunities?

I'm going to be honest here.....I'm just a little bit lazy........okay, I'm a lot lazy. My intentions are good but I am also a procrastinator. I'm really good at putting off doing today what I tell myself I can do tomorrow. I'm extremely good at making excuses. And, the majority of the time, the things I put off doing I regret later.

Perhaps, I need to go get that Opportunity book off the shelf; open it's pages and see what opportunities I might find that need my attention..........today, not tomorrow.

"So be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don’t be fools; be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good."
Ephesians 5:15-16Living Bible (TLB)

God, Give Me Assurance

Today, I realize there are so many friends who are hurting; suffering from physical pain, loss of a loved one, financial loss or emotional trials and I pray for those people.

God has placed all of us on this earth for a specific purpose. It would be wonderful if all of our lives could be perfect; free from hurt and loss and strife. But, as long as we live on this sinful earth, we will have difficulties. And, it may take trials and tribulations , yes, even loss, for us to realize our reason for being.

In looking through some of my previous writing, I came across some things I wrote over the years. So, I want to share this poem that I wrote back in 2005. It was for a specific person with a specific need. However, I think it speaks to many today who are in the midst of difficulties.

I pray that it does…………..

Dear God, please give me assurance,
That I am yours; beloved.
Envelope me in loving arms
And shower me with love
.
God said ‘My child, I feel your pain,
I understand your fears.
And, I am here so very close,
To dry away your tears.

You see, while here on sinful earth,
There are trials you must bear.
But, you can rest assured those trials,
Intensify my care.

If mountaintops were all you knew,
No valleys to walk through.
Then faith would not be needed here
To draw Me close to you.

I am your comfort, strength and rock
I’m your anchor and your guide.
Your help in times of trouble,
When you face the roaring tide.

It’s in the times of dark despair,
Your faith increases much.
And, I mold you for much greater things,
For lives that you will touch.

You see, my child, you were in God’s plan,
From the time the earth was formed.
I’ve known the plans I have for you,
Before you were even born.

I gave you very special gifts,
No one is quite like you.
I’m molding you for greater things,
I have for you to do.

So just hold on to all I’ve said,
Hold on to God above.
Just claim My peace and healing power
For you’re sheltered in My love.”

Jo Ann- Copyright 2005

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

Runnin' Out The Barn Loft

"Okay, guys, what are we gonna do today?" Little John asked," it's just to purty a day fer us to just do nothin'."

Little John and his buddies, Big Howard and Ole' Dean were just old enough to be a bit mischievous. They were always looking for something exciting to do.....no laying around for those guys.

"Hey, let's us go over to my place and climb up in the barn loft and see if that old cat has had them kittens yet," chimed in Big Howard.

"Yea, that's a good idea, lets go!" Ole' Dean said. And, off they ran.

"Last 'un up 'at ladder is a rottin' egg", said Little John, as he took off in a dead run.

They scrambled up the ladder laughing and shoving each other. When they reached the barn loft, they all fell over holding their sides laughing.

"Ha Ha, Little John, you're the rotten egg" Ole' Dean yelled as he scrambled to his feet.

"I ain't neither" said Little John and he shoved Ole Dean up against a bale of hay.

After that, it was on. Ole' Dean grabbed Little John's cap and took off runnin' and yellin' "Rotten egg, Little John's a rotten egg!"

Little John wasn't afraid of a bear when he was a kid and he certainly wasn't gonna let Ole' Dean mess up his cap. After all, that was the only cap he had.

Round and round they went, Ole' Dean tauntin' Little John while Big Howard egged him on. Ole' Dean tucked Little John's cap under his arm and took off runnin' across the barn loft looking back over his shoulder and laughing. The next thing Ole' Dean knew, he had run out the open barn door in the loft and was running in thin air. Thankfully, when he hit the ground, nothing was broken.

Sometimes we run away from God and loose our footing. We are literally running in thin air until we fall on our face. And, much of the time, unlike "Ole' Dean, we end up getting hurt. Is there something you are running from? Why not just hand it over to God and let Him work it out.

"Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you." 1 Peter 5:7Living Bible (TLB)

Are You Frustrated?

Do you get frustrated over little things?

When I read the postings on FaceBook or watch the news on television, I am reminded of how frustrated people can get over little things. People make mountains out of molehills; particularly political candidates. And, I'm not immune.
 
I get frustrated when I misplace my phone or when a telemarketer calls. We were so frustrated with those calls morning, noon and night, that we changed our telephone number and have it unlisted. However, apparently the people who use to have our number get those calls, too, so we continue to get some along. I'm frustrated when I can't find a particular pair of shoes in my closet, or can't find a missing sock. And, leave it to me to misplace my keys or, worse yet, my glasses. I loose patience when I try to tell something and forget what it was I was going to tell or when my internet is out for two days, etc.

Perhaps when something doesn't go exactly the way we think it should or our patience is fast waning, we need to stop and thank our Heavenly Father for all of the things that are going right in our lives.

I am so glad that no matter how many mistakes I make, or how many sins I commit, or how frustrated I get, God doesn't get frustrated or loose patience with me.

"God is gracious—it is He who makes things right,
our most compassionate God.
God takes the side of the helpless;
when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me". Psalm 116:6 The Message Version

The Coconut Cream Pie

“May God who gives patience, steadiness, and encouragement help you to live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ toward the other.” Romans 15:5 TLB

They had just graduated from college when our oldest grandson married his lovely bride in a very touching ceremony before family and friends. Three years later, upon completing her college degree, our oldest granddaughter and her husband were married in a beautiful ceremony in their college town in Texas. Fast forward three more years when our second oldest granddaughter, after graduating from the U of A the week before, married her best friend and the love of her life, in beautiful Thorncrown Chapel, with his dad officiating the ceremony. There where their lives first intertwined when they were both very small.

When John and I married, he was a mature twenty-three and I was only eighteen. I am SO thankful for his maturity and patience in dealing with me those first few months. God tells us in His word that we should develop patience.

As one who has been married for 57 years, I can tell you that patience , steadiness and encouragement are three things that will help develop a good marriage. Patience with my burned biscuits and encouragement that my cooking would only get better with time was important to me.
I remember one time in particular, I was in a hurry to make a pie. I had made a lot of apple pies and raisin pies before I married. For some reason, I don’t recall making a cream pie. John loved coconut cream pies so I was determined to make one. I followed the recipe to a tee or so I thought. I poured it into the pie shell and proceeded to make the meringue, sprinkled coconut on top and placed it in the oven to brown. Upon taking the pie out of the oven, I discovered the crust wasn’t done. What had I done wrong? I called my mother crying,

“Mother, I just made this cream pie and baked it", I sobbed," and when I took it out of the oven, the crust wasn’t done.” She told me that crust had to be baked before pouring in the filling. My poor husband ate that pie without complaining and I’m sure praying all along that my baking would improve.

I’m thankful that my mother was close by and I could call her when I was in the depths of despair about my poor pie. However, God tells couples that upon marriage, they should depend on their mate and not on their parents. It’s that “leave and cleave” situation but more on that perhaps at another time. The main thing I think newlyweds must learn and “olderweds” need to ask themselves is this: "Am I going to focus on what I get or what I give?" If we can exhibit agape love, the selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, our marriages will certainly have a much better chance of succeeding.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 ESV

How Is Your Self Esteem?

How is your self-esteem? How do you feel about yourself? We aren’t born with self-esteem. It develops from the things that happen in our lives. How you see yourself today comes from the way you were and are viewed by other people.

As I have mentioned recently, my husband loves to delve into genealogy. He can trace both our roots back to the 1500’s. We talk about how we were descended from royalty; how we have blue blood running through our veins. However, if we dwell on our heritage too much, we could become boastful. Oh, it’s good for the self-esteem to be able to sight important people as your relations. But, how does God view our genealogy?

Our self-esteem shouldn’t come from who we are but who we are in Him. God doesn’t care about our lineage; He doesn’t care about our wealth, our looks, or our station in life. What He does care about is who we are in Him.

In 1 Samuel 16, the Lord tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem and find Jesse because the Lord has chosen one of Jesse’s sons to be the King. After Samuel fails to find one suitable in seven of the sons, he asks Jesse if there is another. The other son, David, was younger and only a shepherd boy. However, he was the one God chose as the next King.

“But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Don’t get me wrong; Christians should not have low self-esteem. But, it means that we know our abilities and who we are comes from Christ. It doesn’t depend on our ancestors or what others think of us. It depends on who we are in Christ and our relationship with Him
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Psalm 16:2 “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’” Christians attain self-worth and esteem because God thought enough of us to send His son to die for our sins.

Giants in the Land

"THERE ARE GIANTS IN THE LAND!! Really , there are !"

In the movie, "Facing the Giants", the coach was having problems winning games. So, he decided on a new philosophy. He would praise God no matter what. He tells his players to give their best and he motivates them to believe that God would help them win. In the end, of course, they defeat the other team called the Giants.

People in the Old Testament faced giants; real giants. God had promised the Israelites the land of Canaan. But, in Canaan, there lived wicked giants. God promised He would go before them and destroy the giants.

“Now be on your way. Gather the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I’ve looked into what’s being done to you in Egypt, and I’ve determined to get you out of the affliction of Egypt and take you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, a land brimming over with milk and honey.”’ Exodus 3:16-17 The Message

What did these people do? They complained; they whined; they were angry even though God hadn't promised their trip would be without hardship only that it would be worth it in the end. Finally, God had enough and they got to wander around the desert for forty years. You might want to read the story for yourself...it's interesting.

Are the Israelites different from us? Do we complain, whine and get angry when things don't go smoothly? Are there giants in our pathway? Yes, there are but God has promised us, just like He promised the Israelites, that He would go before them and destroy the giants.

What are some of the giants that are keeping you from trusting God completely with every aspect of your life? Are the giants of fear, worry or defeat, etc. rearing their ugly heads?

Are you willing to acknowledge there are giants in your life and allow God to defeat them?

Little John and the Bull

Little John’s best friend was a couple of years older than Little John. So, of course, his friend was able to ride a bicycle before Little John could.
 
So, Little John’s Dad found a used bicycle and, Little John was determined to learn to ride as well as his friend could. So, his friend would encourage and try to help Little John learn to ride.

“Okay, I’ll hold on while you peddle,” Little John’s friend said, ”Then when you get so you’re doin’ real good, I’ll turn loose and you’ll be ridin’ just like me.”

So, off Little John went, peddling as fast as his little legs would peddle. Being able to balance wasn’t one of his positive attributes. He would peddle; wobble and over he would go. Then, his temper would take over and he would set and cry. He was so mad that he couldn’t succeed like his friend. But, after many, many, MANY attempts, skinned elbows and knees, Little John finally conquered the bicycle and he was so proud.

Adventure was one of the things Little John and his friend always looked for. They loved riding on bridges because they were smooth, unlike the dirt roads they had to ride on. They would ride back and forth down the old dirt roads, leaning first one way and then another seeing how far they could lean without falling over.

One day, as they were riding on one of the bridges, Little John’s friend looked up.

“Look at that old bull standin’ over there on the other side of this bridge, he said, pointing, “let’s see if we can scare him.”

So, the two boys began mooing and bawling like they had heard the cattle doing. Suddenly, the old bull put his head down and came barreling toward them. They started peddling as fast as their legs would go with the old bull gaining ground on them. Finally, the old bull got tired of the chase and went back to grazing. The only problem was, the boys found themselves on the opposite side of the bridge from home .

“Now what are we goin’ do?” Said Little John. “We sure can’t go back across there and that old bull a standin’ there ‘cause he’s just gonna chase us again. We may be here all night. Reckon somebody will come a lookin’ for us?”

“Let’s just ride on down here to that old low water bridge and play for a while. Maybe when we come back, that old bull’ll be gone,” Said Little John’s friend. So, off they rode and sure enough, in a couple of hours when they headed back toward home, the bull was gone and they were plenty relieved.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation and wondered how you would escape? Maybe it was somewhere you went that you shouldn’t have and someone walked in and saw you. Or maybe it was finding yourself lying to a friend who had ask you go with them to a movie. You said you had to study. Later that night, when your friend called, your Mother said you had gone to a party with another friend. There you were; caught between a rock and a hard place.

Nothing that we do takes our Lord by surprise. He knows our inner most thoughts. And, if we confess our sins to Him, He is always willing to make a way of escape.

” If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV

The Skunks

John and I were reminiscing the other night about things in our past. He was sharing with me about how his dad would go out after work and hunt fur bearing animals. Then he could sell their furs to make a little money to feed the family. Their old dog, Bernie, would circle the animals until John's dad could get there with his gun. John said he could always tell when his dad had gotten home because he would smell like a skunk. That reminded me of a story I heard.

The story is told of a mother who came home from shopping to find five of her children sitting quietly in a circle. When she looked inside the circle she saw they had five young skunks they had found outside. Without thinking, she yelled, “run children, run!” They did, but not before each child grabbed a skunk to take with them. We are often like those children. When faced with the giants of life, we panic and make a mess out of things. We want to drag our giants with us; whining and complaining all the way, instead of allowing God to defeat them.

A Pastor once said of Christians, "They want to circle the wagons at the church building and hold off the devil until Jesus comes back. That is not God’s plan!" We have gotten so comfortable in our lives; so use to the giants of fear and worry, etc., we don't want to follow God's leading and defeat those giants with His help.

God has plans for each of us. He hasn't promised there won't be difficulties as we travel our respective paths, but He has promised He will go before us and defeat our giants.
Just like the odor that clung to John's dad, the effects of sin can cling to a person long after the sin is committed. And, we become just like his dad, who was so use to the skunk smell, he thought nothing of it. We become accustomed to our sin.

"Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us. Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2 (TLB)

The Blister

It was hot summer and Little John’s mother had been cutting cabbage anticipating she would make kraut with it later. She was outside working in the hot sun most of the afternoon and hadn’t realized a split in the upper back of her dress was going to result in a bad sunburn.

The little family lived in a two room shanty with no screens on the doors. When it was hot, they left the doors wide open in order to get any breeze that might be available. Night time came and little John and his Mother settled down for the night. Little John’s dad had gone to Oklahoma to buy some prairie hay to sell to the farmers in the area. Being a little frightened because his Daddy wasn’t there, Little John crawled in bed with his mother for the night.

Little John’s family had three dogs. Occasionally, they would have worms, which caused, what people called “running fits”. It so happened, this was one of those nights when one of the dogs had a running fit. In through the house, he came; under the bed he went, jumping around, knocking against the mattress and making a terrible noise. The commotion woke Little John from a sound sleep and he was scared to death! He flung himself over on his mother, who was laying on her stomach. When he did, he just centered the huge water blister that had formed on her back, busting it and bringing his mom to her feet. It was so painful, his mother began to cry. Poor Little John didn’t know what to do; His daddy was gone, something terrible was going on under the bed and now his mother was crying. He certainly hadn’t intended to hurt his Mother and he really felt badly doing so.

How many times do we unintentionally hurt someone? Have you ever been talking to a friend about another friend and realize the person you were talking about overheard you? How many times do we hurt someone else and we never realize it? Some of us just have big mouths and we don’t control them very well. It would be good if we all would take inventory of the things we have said or done lately that might have hurt another. I’m sure Little John was very, very sorry that he had hurt his Mother. I imagine he told her he was sorry. If you know you have hurt someone, what do you do?

 What would God have us do?

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12 NLT

January 31, 2013

I found this in my memories on Facebook from 2013. It's very difficult to loose a cousin especially suddenly.

"It is wonderful when cousins can be best friends, too. We have shared a lifetime of family and fun. I wasn't ready for you to leave but our plans are not always God's plans. Save me a place in the soprano section in Heaven's choir beside you and we'll sing for eternity just like we sang on earth. You will always be in my heart ! I loved you and I always will !"

We never know when our last breath will be drawn and we will be taken into our eternal home.

Back in 1984, I recall vividly having a day off from work. I had a nagging within me that I needed to forget what needed to be done at home; drive a few blocks and spend the day with my parents. So I busied myself with chores and the day passed; the girls were home from school and the thought of visiting my parents was but a memory.

The next day, my daddy was taken to the hospital where he had surgery. After being on a ventilator for eleven days, God called him home. Little did I know that when God nudged me earlier, I had forsaken a last visit with my daddy.

Never put off those "God Nudges"; learn what they are and listen to the small voice inside telling you what you need to do.

The bible speaks of the time when Christ will return but I think this verse could also apply to the time when God will call each of us Home individually.

But no one knows the date and hour when the end will be—not even the angels. No, nor even God’s Son. Only the Father knows. Matthew 24: 36 (TLB)

On January 31, 1984, God called and my daddy passed from earth to his Heavenly home.................