A Safe Place

This old birdie house has seen better days! It no longer sits outside in a tree as a safe place or haven of rest for a family of birds. It was given to me by a dear friend. I love bird houses and collect them and this one happens to sit on my dresser in my bedroom. I think of a safe place. Many birds have used it to escape who knows what danger? I know that the little birds I watch out front in my yard tease the cats. They swoop down in front of them and then quickly fly back into their birdhouse for safety.  There are people that make us feel safe when we are around them. I have  issues with trusting people...I admit it. I am sure it is because I have been hurt and betrayed in the past so have a hard time believing that people are who they say they are and mean what they say! There are very few people I feel safe around but there are a few and I am thankful for them. The church should be a safe place....but many times it isn't. Instead it ends up being a place where gossip is spread and people are beaten down, and although fellow Christians preach and teach the Bible they skip over the parts on forgiveness and stirring up strife. They focus on one or two sins and ignore their own. They are judgemental toward people who get divorced, and instead of loving the women left behind with children to raise on their own, they shun, criticize and condemn without knowledge of the facts. I personally wish more churches had ministries for the single mothers. It doesn't mean that the church has to condone divorce, but it should support emotionally and spiritually, the mothers and children who feel so rejected and abandoned. The women in the church especially, should not just assume that the women who are divorced are out there looking  to take away their man, and therefore be jealous of her and shun her. What the single mothers need more than ever is for the women of the church to be a "birdhouse" for her.. ... a safe place....otherwise what will happen is, she will end up confiding in another man, and end up with another mess. It is the job of the older women in the church to be "Kind" not slanderous and gossiping! You can't undo the mistakes you have made....none of us can; but maybe out of the mess someone can learn something that will help them to not make the same mistake. Be a safe place for someone else.....make other people feel safe with YOU... don't run around spreading every little tidbit they tell you. Broken people don't need to be kicked...they need to be helped up.
Psalm 91:1 " He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

Just Carry Me

Do you remember what it feels like to be picked up and carried? That would have been a long time ago for me....but I was thinking on this today as I was reading something that caught my attention. Psalm 28:9 "...be their shepherd and carry them forever."

Just like David to think like a shepherd! He knew what it was to lovingly pick up his sheep and carry them. How secure the sheep feel when they are carried...no worries, no cares; in the arms of their shepherd they are safe from all harm! I am just a little sheep needing a shepherd....and so thankful that I can look to Jesus and say "just carry me" and He does! If I would just learn to ask Him to carry me a lot sooner then I would not waste so much of my time in worry and anxiety. When I finally turn to Him and ask Him to "just carry me" then I feel so secure and know that He's got me in His strong arms....I have nothing to fear.
Psalm 30:6 "When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."

My Watermelon Bear

Here he sits... so patiently waiting for summer...sitting on the porch, just waiting for it to get warm enough, to start seeing those big, round, dark, green watermelons with lime green stripes, piled high in a big cardboard box in the entrance of the supermarket! There is nothing quite so refreshing on a hot summer day at least in my opinion, as a juicy slice of ripe red watermelon. I remember long ago being at a picnic and watched in awe as a man doused his slice of watermelon with salt! I thought "yuck"! That must be disgusting! Upon much urging...he convinced me to try some salt on mine. I think I was only about twelve years old at the time. I was so surprised at how good it actually was! To this day... I will not eat my watermelon without salt and every time... I think of that man who now is up in Heaven. I wonder if he can see me putting salt on my watermelon and giggles a bit? Thanks George M. for taking a few minutes out of your "adult time" at that picnic to teach me to put salt on my watermelon. Whenever I look at this little Watermelon Bear I think of that day and am so thankful for adults who pay attention to kids. Just one little simple bit of attention can mean so much, and will be remembered for a lifetime.
Matthew 18:5 "And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me."

Your Picnic Wasn't Free

Here it is once again...Memorial Day Weekend. Our town is overloaded with RV's and tourists from everywhere as the big opening of the summer season is here. Campgrounds in the Northwoods are packed...in spite of the rainy weather! As we drove past a few on our way home from Ashland yesterday we couldn't help but notice the many campers and out of state plates all over our little town. As I stood in line to purchase a few items....I glanced around me and observed what everyone was buying. There was the charcoal, lighter fluid, marshmallows, paper plates, pop, watermelon....all of the fixings for picnics. I thought to myself..."I guess this really is a big weekend for cookouts!" Then I glanced over to an older man with a rather sad countenance...when I noticed what was in his hands...I knew why. He was holding two memorial wreaths. He obviously was going to place them on someone's grave. Perhaps a loved one he had lost to a war long ago or maybe even recently. It made me think. Memorial Day for many is a very hard day. It means a time to remember the great courage and sacrifice that some Mother's son made ....it means that some Father no longer has his son or daughter...or a wife and children no longer have their husband and Dad. Freedom is costly. Your fun picnic cost someone their life....not to rain on your parade....go have your fun picnic, don't get me wrong, but don't forget that Memorial Day we should remember all those who have given of their lives so that you can freely enjoy it. May we never take our freedom for granted.

Love Is...

Love is...do we even know what real love is? The kind of love that we should have for other people I mean? It is so easy to love people who are easy to get along with but to love someone who gets under your skin is another issue. Love is ....Kind. Love is not rude. Love is not easily angered. Ouch! That one is hard for me! On and on the list goes of all the characteristics of  love the way God spells it out! I don't measure up. I know it. I fall so short on so many fronts. I can't possibly do it on my own....there are just some times it is difficult to show that kind of love to others. The only one who can love perfectly is God, of course. This morning as these words jab at me and tell me of my shortcomings once again....I have no choice but to realize that only through Him am I ever going to be able to do it! Love that is....love people the way I am supposed to....unconditionally...like it says....love is patient, love is kind, doesn't envy, doesn't boast, isn't proud, is not rude, is not selfish,and there it is again!!!......is not easily angered! Keeps no record of wrongs, doesn't delight in evil,.....OK....still learning these lessons.

The Rusty Old Wash Tub

It was actually warm enough the other day for me ..... a miracle! I took a little walk around the yard to inspect for signs of Spring sticking around! I am still nervous that we are going to get snow even though it is the end of May! Don't laugh! It can happen here! In the back of one of the bushes sits this old rusty wash tub. A ringer washer! Maybe some of you who are a bit older than I am think that I would have no idea about this, however I do! You see, my first recollection of one of these "monsters" as I remember it was helping my mom. I am the youngest in the family. I have one sister who is three years older, and a brother who is six years older; so they both went off to school while I stayed home and helped my mom...at least as much as possible for a preschooler! I still remember how loud this "monster" was as it swished around washing the clothes. It also seemed like it took forever to wash one load! There was a black rubber hose on it that would drain the water out when the wash was done, however there was always a lot of water left and that's what the ringer on top was for.  My mom would dump all of the clothes into the laundry basket, and one by one I would help hand her a piece of clothing to go through the ringer. I remember her telling me to be careful not to put my fingers too close to the ringer or they would get stuck... I did come pretty close a few times, but never really got hurt, thankfully. This rusty old wash tub sitting out in our field was at one time used by my husband's Grandma and I am sure in the summertime when he came for his annual visit he had to help her in the same way...and then help carry the basket of clothes down to the clothesline. It struck me as I stood there taking the picture of this old weary washing machine that had seen better days......it was brand new once. It was sparkling, shiny and ran like a charm.....but now here it sits, all rusty, weeds growing all around it,and useless. Everything is new once...but then as time goes by, things breakdown, wear out, and rust! Then it ends up in some one's field! Makes me think...what is really important in this life anyway? All of the stuff  I can accumulate? It will all end up in a heap on some one's junk pile eventually! Life is way too short ...I need to focus on the things that truly matter.                                                                                          "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt , and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven where moth and rust doth not corrupt and thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is there will your heart be also."~ Matthew 6:19-21

Beside The Still Waters

I am not sure what it is in my blood that is so attracted to water but I have always loved both the ocean and the many lakes that I have lived around. I had the privilege of being around the Atlantic Ocean as a kid, visiting all of the relatives in Maine....my favorite scenic place. I also have the privilege now of living near many lakes, and in the summer like to go there to a few of my favorites as often as possible. There is something emotionally calming about just sitting on the edge of an old wooden dock all alone, overlooking a lake, with the blue sky reflecting off the water. I guess I have something in common with David, the Psalmist...he liked the still water.  He was a shepherd,  and more than likely led his sheep to places where there was "still water" for them to drink and get refreshed. It was a place for himself to rest and get restored. He compared the Lord to a Shepherd....... "He leadeth me beside the still waters....He restoreth my soul." When my whole life seems stormy and chaotic and the tension and anxieties begin to mount up too high to handle....that's when the "Good Shepherd" takes me by the hand and whispers in my ear..."C'mon...let's go to the lake!" Rest...Relax...Renew....

You Are My Sunshine

Children are a gift from God. A ray of sunshine in a cloudy life. I remember the overwhelming joy I felt when I had my first child....at the same time such a feeling of overwhelming responsibility! I gave my first baby the middle name Joy because of the joy she brought to my heart. I recall the tune I sang over and over to her as she grew from infant to toddler to a sweet little girl. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you...please don't take my sunshine away." It still brings sunshine to my heart to hear her voice on the phone and listen of her latest accomplishments. It lightens my day to know she is happy. God has blessed me with three other rays of sunshine as well, and one awaiting me in Heaven. Maybe I especially, am really going to appreciate the sunshine of Heaven more than most.....I really, really, hate cloudy gloomy weather...and this morning made me think on this because once more, it is cloudy here in Wisconsin! We just cannot seem to get sunshine! I so am longing for the warm rays of sunshine beaming down on my aching tired sick body! I was reading in Psalm 60 this morning. The Lord will be my everlasting light......my sunshine!
Psalm 60:19-20 "...for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end."

Regard For The Weak

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Last year I hung this cute little bird house in the bush out front. My intentions were to use it to put birdseed in but I really didn't do too great of a job at keeping up with it. Yesterday I looked out my bedroom window and noticed a little yellow canary going in and out of it, so out of curiosity I went outside to take a look. That little bird has been busy building itself a home inside. I guess I was having regard for the weak! I am not really sure that is what is meant in Psalm 41 where it talks about having regard for the weak...I think it is talking about people...but I think creatures count too. Anyway I was reminded of this as I was reading Psalm 41 this morning....I am always amazed at how I can read something I have read a million times over but glean something different each time! This was just right for me this morning. Maybe it will be just right for you too....so I decided to include it here.
Psalm 41(NIV) "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of  illness. I said, " O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you." My enemies say of me in malice, "When will he die and his name perish?" Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad. All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying , "A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies." Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread , has lifted up his heel against me. But you, O Lord, have mercy on me; raise me up, that I may repay them. I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me. In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen."

Wait Patiently?

Wait Patiently? HMM! I have never been too good at waiting for anything and definitely by nature am not a very patient person...so how in the world am I supposed to just wait patiently? It is a hard thing to wait for things. If you have ever watched baby chicks emerge from their eggs you know it is a time consuming process. Little by little they peck their way through the eggshell until their little beak first emerges. It looks as if they will never make it! It seems like they need someone to help them break the shell....but actually they do much better if left alone. They do eventually get the shell broken open enough to slowly emerge out into the world. I have several things I am waiting on and have lately found myself getting a little too anxious about wanting them to be over and done with and answers like RIGHT NOW! Then I am reminded to wait. Patiently even. So today I again am still waiting .....there must be some purpose in the delay. A lesson for me to learn. A  reminder once again that all is in God's hands and I need to rest and wait. Perhaps in my waiting He will give me the courage and grace to face whatever the waiting brings. Perhaps in my waiting He will give me peace and quiet my inner anxieties and fears. I glance up above my sofa to the rustic sign I made just last winter....little did I know when I made it that I would be sitting here today ....waiting.....it says.."Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, He shall strengthen thine heart."

What Are You Planting?

You all know how much I have been complaining about the cold, dreary, weather we have had up here in Wisconsin. It has seemed to be the dreariest of winters I can ever remember in my life! As I look out my window this morning, I am very pleased to announce to you that everything is GREEN! The sun is shining! All of the country farming neighbors are busy getting their gardens ready! If I were not so sick I probably would be doing the same.....but digging around in the dirt when you don't feel well just is not going to happen! My Mother- in- Law is busy at work getting hers ready of course and works at it every year tediously. As she sat at my kitchen table the other day talking about her garden for this year, the question once again came up. What are you planting?  I am sure there will be the regular stuff, like the big red tomatoes, the monstrous zucchini, that goes into God knows what....I guess just about everything....then there are the green beans, and the super sized squash. Oh...and this year maybe the kind of squash that you have to cut with an axe??? I am tickled at her enthusiasm over her garden. It  brought my mind into focus.  What am I planting? No...I am not having a garden out in the field....don't mean that! I mean ....in my life, in the lives of others around me? Seeds that will grow and be left for someone to harvest later. Guess I need to work on this one.
Hosea 10:12 " Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord , until He comes and showers righteousness on you."
                                                                                                                                                                       

What Are You Doing Up There?

Sometimes..this dog of mine is silly ...I think she hangs with the three cats too much and mimics their behaviour! I always hate when we have to leave her in the kennel for a few days but she sure does appreciate being home when it is over. She always gets a doggie report card for her time spent there. She was smiley, ate and slept well and played with the vet assistants who give her lots of attention! I have to admit I have spoiled her rotten and allowed her to get on the furniture. It wasn't so bad when she was just a little cute puppy, but now she is a full grown six year old and she still thinks she is a puppy! She gets on my lap and won't get down sometimes...just so she can cuddle. If I am laying on the couch...she wants to lay up on top...like in this picture! She is always by my side! I didn't realize that she was getting up on top of the couch until one day after I had left her home. When I returned the doily was no longer on the back of the couch and Honey had left her evidence of red hair all along the top of it. I surprised her the day I took this picture...I came into the room...camera in hand, and said, "What are you doing up there??" She just lay there looking so sweet...How can you scold a sweet puppy like that?   I thought to myself...she must have seen the cats up there because they are always laying on the back of the couch, It is my only explanation. She follows those cats around like they are her babies and even scolds them when they get into it with each other! She barks to let me know if one of them is out on the porch and needs to come in! She really keeps track of them and hangs with them ....eats with them....does whatever they do...it is pretty interesting. I guess it is the same rule for animals as it is for us....you become like who you hang around! Have you ever noticed? The more you are with someone the more you start acting like them?  Scary.....in some instances....makes you want to get away from some people in a hurry before you become too much like them!.A man is known by the company he keeps. I guess it really is important to choose my friends wisely....I am thankful for my many good friends.

Every Day Is A Gift

Okay...God,....Thank you for another day! This one sure has started out not the way I planned it. Already things have gone crazy! Hay wire you might say! I am sorry to all of my blog followers but I just couldn't get this together this morning! For one thing, I just barely got on my computer and it decided that today was the day that it was finally going to crash for good! It has been slowly threatening to die on me for the last year but I have been trying my best to get every last bit of life out of it! Then I figured I could get on my husband's super slow computer but then the phone interrupted me. Not one phone call ...but  one after another until I believe it was about five! My plans for today were to sit outside in the sun and soak up some vitamin D and write on my laptop...hmm...guess that's not happening! Then about the time I was going to sit outside and write in my notebook instead, well...the sun decided it was no longer going to shine so brightly.. it is cloudy and cooler at the moment. Seems sometimes things in life really go like that too...we make plans and then so many other things happen and squash em flat! Sometimes it is downright disgusting and frustrating and depressing! I am reminded by a still small voice... (only He doesn't say it quite this way)... but my version...."Oh just shut up...be quiet...wait....and big deal, you don't get to do things the way you wanted!" Just enjoy the fact that you have this day and make the most of it... your plans may get rearranged but so what? Learn to be flexible and go with the flow... So, "Thank You Lord for this day and help me not to grumble about the stupid trivial stuff."

Coffee-Free But Calm

It is a beautiful morning with the sun shining brightly through the window! My head is not feeling so great as it is a coffee less morning once more as I wait to have more tests done. I hate going without my coffee! It just doesn't make sense that you always have to forgo that wonderful cup of life when you have to have a medical test! I think the drs just like to torture! It would be cool if they could just put some in my IV. Anyway, I guess I am not normal when it comes to coffee...I have been drinking it for way too long so one day without it is horrible!! I am not very normal anyway! I have had a lot of medical problems the past recent years but especially this last year. I've had numerous tests and many Dr visits, medications, etc. Many scary theories have been thrown around by my specialists as to what is really going on with me and I guess if I let it ...it would be enough to put me into a frenzy. I have however learned through going through so many other difficult situations in the past, that God knows exactly what He is doing and has a purpose for what He allows in my life. Some things just happen because we are human and live in a human body and face it...our bodies are little by little falling apart as we age!  I honestly am not feeling anxious... He knows and will see me through. He gives me a peace that I cannot explain and even though my head is throbbing right now from lack of my coffee..I have a sense of calm.

Nothing to Boast About

It is sunny and quiet here this morning....with my "Honey" at the kennel. Strange feeling without that little wet nose on my cheek this morning....I am hoping the 40 degrees will raise and end up feeling like a nice day! My mind sometimes goes in a million directions in the morning and sometimes it just seems to go blank! Today ....is a "blank" day and I think more coffee is in order!!
I guess I was thinking on a comment I heard someone say .....about how surprising it was that someone with alcohol on their breath or cigarette smoke would clean up and come and sit down next to them at church. I heard this comment about a week or so ago and have not been able to get it off my mind for some reason.  It seems so judgemental and hypocritical to me; for the person sitting next to the "alcohol-smelly  person"....surely must have some sin also. Isn't one sin the same as another? Hmm. The woman caught in adultery....what DID Jesus do? What WAS His response?  What ARE the seven things God lists that He hates? Haven't we all offended at some point? Why is it then that some Christians like to exalt themselves above others and try to make themselves and others believe they are so much better or more spiritual than another ? Jesus came to save ALL sinners. Guess what? If you are dressed up in your  "Sunday Best" and sitting next to a "loser who stinks" and was out all night drinking.....you are no better! You are both sinners. It is only through the blood of Christ that anyone is forgiven and saved.....it has nothing to do with how good you are. I love how Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Today....some Christians would be joining in criticizing that, I'm sure...but His response to the pharisees of the day was that the healthy don't need a Dr., but the sick do....and that His purpose was to save sinners.(Mark2:13-17) Boy... am I ever a big huge sinner and I admit it.......So thankful on this new sunny day...once again for the grace of God...for that is the only thing saving this rotten sinner...and if you admit it...you are the same. None of us have anything to boast about...!

                                                                                                                                                                               Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by Grace are you saved through Faith, and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works  lest any man should boast."

Honey Is Sweet

I guess I have honey on my mind this morning. I have to take my dog "Honey" to the vet today for her checkup and her shots, just so she can spend a few nights in her special VIP Kennel arrangement. I named her "Honey" because she had such a golden color to her when she was a puppy...now she is more reddish. She is very sweet and lovable even though at times I get disgusted with her. Usually when the weather is nice ...(which you can tell by reading my blog, we haven't had a whole lot of yet)...we put her out in her fenced in yard and she loves to get on top of her dog house and sit in the sun. On the way to the pen the other day she decided that seven months of being cooped up in the house was enough nonsense for her! She broke loose and took off running through the fields and creeks and woods. I was not about to go after her....not after breaking my foot last Spring and being in a boot all summer. It started raining and literally pouring but Honey was just running and running around and around those fields. She was out there for a long time when finally the sun came out and I decided to go out into the yard. All I had to do was squat down on the ground and act like I needed her and my sweet "Honey" came right next to me to my rescue! Such loyalty...and love.

Flowers In The Midst Of The Grey

It has been pretty grey and rainy here but as I drove back and forth to town today couldn't help but notice all of the many signs that Spring indeed is here at last! It has definitely taken its good old time getting to the North woods of Wisconsin this year, and the temperature is still very cool; but the signs that Spring has arrived are every where! The trees that were barren even a week ago now have promising green little leaves coming forth on them and the grass has turned from brown to green. There are even dandelions once again all over! The birds are once again fluttering around the yard in search of juicy worms and I've already seen a few baby bears on the side of the road. Now if the sun would just come out and warm us up a bit. A few weeks ago it seemed as if  Spring just wasn't coming this year.... but it always does. I sure hope it sticks around for a long while and we get a nice long summer! This hard, long, cold, dreary winter here this year, has made me really appreciate the hope that Spring brings with it! It makes me realize that without cold, I wouldn't appreciate the warmth of the sun! Without sickness, I wouldn't appreciate health. Without guilt, I wouldn't appreciate forgiveness! Without problems, I wouldn't appreciate the ability of God to solve them. Spring reminds me of all of these things. It has arrived at last, and with it many reminders to look up for the hope I need.

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside still waters, He restoreth my soul..."

More Dependable Than The Weather!

This crazy weather up here is not very dependable. Sunny one minute...rainy the next....winter one day, spring the next! Today, it happens to be a very foggy morning!  As I look out my bedroom window, I cannot see up the road....I just don't understand the weather here this year. I wish I had kept track of all of the cloudy rainy grey days on the calendar. I really think they have amounted to way more than the sunny ones and it has really played a major role in my health this last year! I honestly do not remember it being like this last year or ever ....it just seems like that sun will only shine for one day! Then several more days of gloomy weather! How in the world are you supposed to feel good and be cheerful with all of this doom and gloom weather?? Yikes! I am glad that I don't have to depend upon the weather...to make me happy or joyful; although it sure feels good to let the sun beam down on my face. I don't have to depend upon other people to bring me peace...although a real arm around my shoulder now and then sure feels good and helps ease the burden.  I am so thankful that there is a faithful friend who brightens up my life regardless of the weather, regardless of the people in or out of my life; regardless of circumstances......He just IS....I can count on HIM. Always the same....never changes!

"Jesus is...the same...yesterday, today, and forever!"

Rubbing the Lamp

I was thinking this morning of a cartoon I remembered seeing of someone rubbing and rubbing on a magic lamp and then all of a sudden this big purple Genie sleepily emerges through the narrow spout! He grumpily asks what is wanted? He grants three wishes. Sometimes it seems that we approach God this way. It is like we expect that we are going to rub the magic lamp.... out He will emerge, when we need Him only, we will tell Him our wishes and they will automatically be granted! I am learning so much about prayer lately.  God doesn't want to  be a "magic Genie" for us when we are in trouble. He wants to hear from us everyday. Not to command our wishes upon Him but to thank Him for who He is and for all He has already done. Prayer is not a magical thing that is to be used to get our own way! It is a method of communication between man and God, which if we are talking everyday then we will know what He is saying and doing. There is a phrase that Christians love to go around saying...."Prayer Changes Things"......no prayer does not change things.... prayer changes the attitude I have toward those things.  My prayers are just useless chatter...it is God's love and mercy and power that does anything at all.  Whenever people hear of "bad" news they say they will pray .....what they are really saying is they are going to "tell" God to take this away because He doesn't know what He is doing. I have learned over the years that what God really wants from me is just to acknowledge His all knowing Hand in my life, accept what He gives and accept what He takes. His grace is enough for one day at a time and that is all that I need. I think it is time to stop praying as if God is a "Genie in the sky" who is going to grant you everything your little heart desires.. He sees the whole picture whereas we do not. He knows what is best for me and who am I to question that? He is a loving Father...which means He truly wants and does whatever is the best for me. So why not trust in that and stop trying to get my three wishes granted?

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding."~Proverbs 3:5

Busy Building

I guess it is really Spring! This morning as I opened the door to let my sweet little hyper dog out, the birds were flying around. One of them had some hay in his little beak and was going back and forth from the top of my doorway to the bushes for I guess some twigs or hay or something with which to help him build that little nest. The lilac bush across our driveway was full of little birds fluttering around, in and out of there in a scurry. I noticed on our way to town the other day, a large beaver dam all built up in the middle of the pond that we pass. These North woods critters have been busy building! They are preparing their place of comfort. Their "dream home"! I will probably never get my "dream home" here on Earth, and there are a few people who probably think I don't deserve it anyway. That is alright. Some of you know...I have always wanted a log cabin for as long as I can remember...even as a little girl reading "Little House On The Prairie".  I guess I have always wanted to live in the simplicity of that era. Last week in our weekly ladies Bible study group we read John 14. It  is perfect for my thoughts this morning. While on one hand I feel a tad disappointed that I have not been able to have my log cabin, I have found a whole lot more comfort in the fact that I have a mansion waiting for me. When Jesus left this Earth and went back to Heaven He promised that He was preparing a place for me....building me my "dream home'! Getting my "log cabin in the sky" ready!   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                "Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."~John 14:1-2

Here Comes The Sun

Here comes the sun! NO...not here. Not today, anyway! There is rain in the forecast for most of this week from what I heard. Yesterday, it was a beautiful sunny day here, and I actually was able to sit outside and enjoy a little bit of "me" time out in the sun! A nice Mother's Day gift. There was a time back in the day when I thought I would never get a second to myself, ever in my life! As I sat out there yesterday soaking up as many of the warm rays as I could, I was wondering if it would last! I had just hardly thought it and some gray clouds covered up my sun! The wind started blowing, I started shivering and my outside time to myself was over in a whole twenty minutes! Now this morning the sky is not sunny! It is gray once more and looking like it will be a rainy cool day here again! Sometimes it feels the same when problems and trials seem to overwhelm us. They come in groups sometimes! You just get through one thing and then another thing comes along to test your endurance once again. Then the sun comes out briefly and you may get a reprieve from it all and what  a renewal it is! Then down comes the rain once more and the wind starts blowing and rips your trees up by the roots! This is when you have to remember the sun WILL come out again and the storm will eventually cease and you will appreciate the warmth of it and the stillness all that much more! So...hang on ....Here comes the sun!

"It isn't raining rain to me~ it's raining daffodils;
In every dimpled drop I see wildflowers upon the hills."~Robert Loveman

Toys

Toys! They usually mean there are children present! Not in my house...just a grown up little girl who still loves them. These are not the kind of toys that our kids of this generation are playing with! I really don't think too many of them are shooting marbles or playing Chinese checkers these days. It is more like video games! I suppose kids don't realize that we did not have video games or computers to entertain us when we were their age. We went outside..went swimming in a pond, pretended...what's that? The simple things sometimes bring the biggest enjoyment. I find that so true even as an adult. Sometimes we try to over complicate things......we analyze, criticize, try to figure everything out on our own. Then I hear a still small voice within telling me to just have faith like a child and to trust in His unfailing guidance and love. He knows this ocean....He is aware of the storm....He doesn't always calm it....but He will get me through it. Once again I am humbled and shamed at the same time. I already know this stuff. Why then do I worry? Or get upset when things are other than what I planned? I look back at the toys....I am reminded I am His child....He is the Best Father a child could have. His arms are around me once more.

Mothers And Daughters

This is my very special Grammy  Greenlaw back in the day...I believe around 1944.. she is now 96 years old! The sweetest Grammy in the whole world as far as I am concerned! Then there is her daughter, my Mom. If you didn't know any better, you would think these two pictures were of the same person! They really are close in the way they look.

Then there was Me... and my two beautiful daughters...Jen and Bethany!

 There really is a special bond between Mothers and Daughters that just cannot be explained. I love my two wonderful daughters and words cannot express what they mean to me. I do miss the times we shared of going shopping and watching chick flicks and laughing until we nearly peed our pants! Now they are grown into beautiful women and we have a new kind of relationship. I cherish it. I love to just talk with them . The times we get together are not as frequent as they now are busy into their adult lives, however the bond we have can never be broken. The memories we have will never be erased. The hardships we have suffered together have made us stronger. I have never regretted for one second being a Mother. I am not only thankful for my Grandmother, and Mother, on this Mother's Day but am thankful for the privilege I have had of being a Mother myself. Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers and grandmothers.

Just Prevent The Wrinkles

 I love antiques and anything at all that reminds me of a time that I did not get to live in; a time in which my grandparents lived. In a lot of ways things sure seemed simpler; but you've got to appreciate progress as well! Just look at these old irons for example. They are heavy on the wrist for one thing...that's an issue with me since I have carpal tunnel and nerve damage in my arm. They are small, therefore they don't cover as much material at once as the irons we now have  today. Oh, and don't forget you would have to heat these on a wood stove for a while before you could iron and then you might scorch your clothes if  the iron was a bit too hot!
 I suppose they did get the job done which was to get the wrinkles out. I have always hated to iron. I always have gone out of my way to buy clothes that are virtually wrinkle free, or will become so after a spin in the dryer. To me, the task of getting the wrinkles out is such a tedious task......I figure, isn't it easier to prevent the wrinkles in the first place?? Oh..I don't like the way this hits home to me ...... It's a lesson to be learned for sure! It is so much easier to prevent problems than to try to fix them afterward.... reality check here....made way too many wrinkles....need to be way more careful to prevent them! Number one culprit...the mouth..".so Lord, put your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth."

Me Again!

"Here I am again....Lord!" Sometimes I feel like He gets tired of us, but I know better in my heart. He doesn't think like we do. We get tired of people sometimes and their irritating ways. Maybe you go out of your way to avoid them when you see them coming. I have had a few like that in the past...however I am learning that God usually ends up putting those people in our path for a reason and to help us become a better person. It takes character to be nice to someone who is irritating and to someone you know dislikes you or resents you, but you do it anyway; not always because you want to...but because it is the right thing to do.

This morning sitting here, approaching God once again...with the same old things on my mind...made me think of this. Does he feel irritated with me constantly repeating my story to him? Does he feel upset by my asking for favors? Does he get sick and tired of me beating the same old drum?

As I think on this, a few long-ago memorized verses come to mind.They are a comfort for my tired and weary soul. He wants me to call out to Him and make my requests known to Him. He wants me to be utterly desperate and dependent only on Him! He Is not tired of me coming to Him....He actuallly delights in it. I am glad....relieved that I have a friend who never grows weary of listening and one in whom I can totally confide without judgement. I look up once again at the sign over the doorway..."Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God"~Ralph W. Emerson....It is now my turn to be silent and hear His whisper to my heart.

Psalm 145:18 " The Lord is near to those that call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth."

Carry A Tune

Lately I have been waking up very early...before the sun. This morning I noticed something I haven't noticed in a very long,long time!! It must mean that the long awaited Spring is HERE....I hope! I heard a bird just singing to the top of his little birdie lungs...non-stop and it has been going on now for a few hours. I am quite sure it is the same bird since I am sitting here on my sofa listening and the welcomed sound is coming from the tree right outside my window here. I have often wondered about the birds singing. What in the world are they so happy about anyway? No worries? Carefree? Just waiting for their next juicy worm? I guess God just made them with the ability to praise Him that way. I like to sing however, I admit...you would not really like it!! I do not think I can carry a tune in a basket! Our grandson was in a play..he was a tree with a bird's nest on top of his head! ....that would have been cool if there was a real bird in it singing away! This gets me thinking....when is the last time I actually sang a song? Hmmm....think it has been awhile. A merry heart is good like a medicine...I think I need to sing more!! Of course the dog might howl and the cats might run away, but it might make me feel better. OR....at least...play some nice music and sing along so no one else can tell I am singing with it. Anyway, the point is.. even if I can't carry a tune... I need to...and so do you. Even the loud little bird is singing and welcoming the sun.

This Day

This is a picture of the wild flowers that take over my field every summer! I love it, but they are so short-lived. NO, by the way...I do not have any flowers out there yet! We have not even had two warm days in a row yet like some of you who are so fortunate to live in the warmer temps! Our lives are really short-lived as well. You probably don't think so if you are in your teens or twenties, maybe even in your thirties; however when time starts creeping past you and you realize you are as old as your grandparents were when you thought they were Really OLD .... then you know beyond a doubt that life is indeed short! You had better do whatever it is you are going to do while it is today. I surely don't want to waste my time worrying about people who hate me or talk about me...forget it and let it go...let them stew if they want.. I have better things to concentrate on. I don't want to waste what time I have worrying over the future and what might be and what might happen.... I have to trust that God knows and has a plan and wants me to enjoy "This day".   Life Is short....so make it count ...This Day!  

"This is the day that the Lord has made... let us be glad and rejoice in it."

Just A Weakling!

I was always a tomboy as a kid...especially around 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. I could throw a punch on the playground just as well as any boy in my class. I did in fact get sent to the Principal's office a time or two for fighting, and I think most of those times were for fighting the boys and giving bloody noses! The biggest insult of all of course was if someone was to call you a "weakling"  or say that you "fought like a girl"! I think I have always been a fighter...in my spirit...in my very being...always questioned things for myself...never willing to just take other people's ideas..gotta check everything out for myself! Throughout the years I have had to go through many "fights" ..no not fist fights, but other battles in life, and some were pretty ferocious and tedious! Some I thought I would never make it through alive! However, I never considered myself to be a weakling! I have always  convinced myself that I was strong and could make it ...perhaps I felt I had to show I was strong to everyone around me! I have come to think differently. I really, am not strong at all. In fact, I have found out what a weakling  I really am! I have no strength in myself to rely on! When it comes down to it...I am just a scrawny 4th or 5th grade little girl with very little muscle and trembling knees! I am in fact, a "Scaredy Cat"!....."Chicken!".......  I realize this morning...that in my WEAKNESS, God drives me to Him and shows me how very STRONG, HE is.

Isaiah 40:29 "He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."

Not A Care In The World!

Photo By Jen Wood Macklin

Hi! My name is Smudge. I'm not so sure why my mom named me that but she loves me and that is good enough for me! I am not so sure about the other guy in the house though....he seems a bit gruff...like "Major Payne" but I think he is soft on the inside! He pets me when mommy isn't looking! I have it pretty good...I get to lay around all day long while they both go to work to bring home the cat chow! I sit and stare at the TV while they are watching and wonder why these stupid humans do so many horrible things and why there are so many bad things happening in the world? Ahhh...to me it just doesn't even matter...I think I should be scratching on my scratching post my mom got me! I know you humans have a lot of problems to deal with ...but geeesh! Look at me! Not a care in the world!

I could learn a lot from you Smudge. Sometimes I guess I do get a little carried away with the things of this life and start to fret! I try to see too far ahead and figure everything out for myself and get myself so very frustrated. I know I need to just relax a bit and learn to trust in what God has in store. I know He will give me the wisdom I need to make the proper decisions and choices along the way if I am listening to His voice. So, even if it is storming out, I can have a peace that passes all human understanding.
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."