Wednesday Treasures

 

It's been a busy week. I'm sorry I've been a bit awol here in blogland.  Just a lot going on, and it's been hot! Too hot to think too hard I guess! LOL.

We did take a walk a couple of times...and I had to take a picture of this crape myrtle blossom, growing on a skinny little branch of what used to be a bigger tree probably back in the day in someone's yard in the old historic section of town where the highway went through and took away their houses...You know I just love to see how life goes on in one way or another...

And this morning we had an occasion to go into the "big city" of Palatka, which is about 15 miles from us. (Not really a BIG city, but bigger than where we live). Palatka is known for its many murals painted on the sides of the old store buildings in their historic section of town.  I happened upon this mural, and wanted to share it with you:

This mural is of a Cattle Drive to Paynes Prairie, circa 1930.

 Here's a brief summary of the history of the cattle drives to Paynes Prairie:

"Paynes Prairie, now Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, has a history of cattle drives dating back to the Spanish era and continuing through the Civil War. Specifically, Confederate cattle drives would stop there to fatten up cattle before moving them north towards the Georgia border. The prairie's landscape, with its vast open spaces and proximity to transportation routes, made it a strategic location for cattlemen. "

Link to more about the Murals in Palatka, FL.  There are so many, and they are all so interesting. I still haven't seen them all in person, but this link will show you what is there.

It's been so hot this week, the kitties have been finding different places to rest in the shade...Not sure that's much cooler, but Sunshine seems to like laying there under the tarp that covers the lawn tractor.

Some of you may have already seen these pictures on Facebook this week, but I'll share them again for those who haven't...One early morning Mr. Cardinal came calling at the bird feeder...I know many believe that when a Cardinal visits it's like having a visit from someone who's gone on to heaven.  I don't know if that's true or not, but I do love to see them, and they do always make me think of those who have gone on before us.. Always a comforting sight and thought.

Of course our "porch kitties", Blackie and Sunshine, are totally oblivious to the Cardinal just a few feet away from them.  That's a good thing, really!  Look at Sunshine...he's definitely enjoying his "catnap".

Mr. Cardinal seems to be oblivious to the cats as well...

Oh to be able to be so relaxed...

I guess you can tell I didn't get much done that morning!

But perhaps the kitties have the best idea for a hot summer day...

Mr.Cardinal seems to think so.

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

Ah yes, "perfect peace!"...something we are learning about...when our mind is on the Lord, and when we put our complete trust in Him, we can be at perfect peace.  When we allow the cares of this world and our fears for the unknown to get to us,  we get anxious and afraid.  But GOD! 

Remember this old hymn..."What A Friend We Have in Jesus"...

1 

What a Friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!

2

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3

Are we weak and heavy-laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge—

Take it to the Lord in prayer;

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer;

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,

Thou wilt find a solace there.

Amen.

We've been going through a lot of waiting and trusting and praying these past several months, while hubby has been dealing with some mystery illness and total exhaustion.  We've been to different kinds of doctors and had several kinds of tests...and still there haven't been any real answers.  Tomorrow morning he goes for more lab work to rule out some other possibilities...but here's the "good news"...

Yesterday he met with a neurologist (finally!).  After the Doctor looked over all the test results that have been done over the past few months, and also after asking my hubby many questions about how he feels, etc.,  finally my husband asked the doctor if he believes that he has any neurological disease? And the doctor said, based on what he sees, he does not believe that he does. However, he wants to run a few more blood tests to rule out some things, so that is why we go tomorrow, but he said he really doesn't believe they will show anything significant.  

Now, personally, I am a little frustrated with that answer only because we still don't know what's going on.  But the doctor reassured us that he doesn't see anything life threatening or serious.  It could be a kind of "chronic fatigue" situation, but there really isn't a whole lot that can be done for that.  However, to hubby, this news was great! It relieved his mind so much that I have noticed a new spring in his step...and tonight he even went to the church board meeting (where he is the chairman), and I thought he was planning to resign from his position because of his illness, but instead he rejoiced that God has given him the strength and desire to keep going. He was like his "old self" again,  and it was like witnessing a miracle of God right before our eyes!  So I want to stop and give thanks to the Lord for what He has done...because I know it was God who did that!   Praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow!!

And so I will leave you with those words of hope and thankfulness for tonight. There's some other things going on, but I will save that for another post as I am tired tonight. It's been another long, hot day, but, oh! It did finally rain! We had a good little thunderstorm and rain this afternoon, so that is something else to be thankful for!

I like this translation of Philippians 4:19...

Philippians 4:19  New Living Translation

"19 And this same God who takes care of me 

will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, 

which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."

Amen!!

Good night dear friends!

Sermon Notes: "I Must Tell Jesus"

Well folks, I had to skip church today due to having a bit of a sinus/cough/tummy issue today, and I really didn't want to share it with everyone else.

So the "Sermon Notes" will be my own thoughts as I sit here this morning, thinking about and praying for our church while I am unable to be there.

I am sad that I am missing singing with the choir the following song, "I Must Tell Jesus", 

but here it is, so we can all sing along...

I Must Tell Jesus

I must tell Jesus

All of my trials

I cannot bear these burdens alone

In my distress

He kindly will help me

He ever cares and loves His own

I must tell Jesus

All of my troubles

He’s a kind and compassionate friend

If I but ask Him

He will deliver

Make of my troubles

Quickly an end

I must tell Jesus

I must tell Jesus

I cannot bear these burdens alone

I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus

Jesus can help me, Jesus alone

Tempted and tried I need a great savior

One who can help my burdens to bear

I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus

He all my cares and sorrows will share

I must tell Jesus

I must tell Jesus

I cannot bear these burdens alone

I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus

Jesus can help me, Jesus alone

Songwriters: Composer & Author Trad / Travis Cottrell / PUBLIC DOMAIN UNIDENTIFIED .

I Must Tell Jesus lyrics © WORD MUSIC, LLC

What a joy and privilege we have as God's children to take our burdens to Jesus in prayer.  

Philippians 4: 6-7 tells us:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, 

let your requests be made known to God;

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

This is the believer's joy and great privilege, to be able to take our burdens to the Lord in prayer, and know that He will hear us and listen...and actually carry our burdens on His shoulder.  Listen to what Jesus told His disciples:

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

I wonder how many of us are needlessly carrying burdens that are too heavy for us to bear because we just either don't know how to give them over to Jesus, or, because of pride, we think we can handle it by ourselves.  Pride is one of those sins that God hates...(Proverbs 6:16-19), and also we are told that 

"Pride goes before destruction, 

and a haughty spirit before a fall." 

Proverbs 16:18

Jesus wants us to bring our burdens to Him...He not only died for our sins, but also for all these burdens that drag us down and keep us from living a victorious and abundant life.  

There is another favorite old hymn that speaks to this:

What A Friend We Have in Jesus 

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,

Thou wilt find a solace there.

I pray that you have found this precious friend, Jesus Christ, and that you know you can run to Him in prayer at any time, and "In His arms He'll take and shield thee; Thou wilt find a solace there!"

Help! I'm Stressed Out!

Okay friends, I have to admit something to you.  The smiling face you always see on my Blog Profile or my Facebook Page isn't always accurate. It might even be a bit retouched.

I didn't take this picture...a friend did...and I think her camera had some special app to whiten teeth and remove wrinkles. I wish I had that app in real life. But that's another issue.

What you are seeing is a person who has gotten very good at smiling on the outside, but who may not be showing you the true inside picture.  It may even be something like an iceberg...you know...the "tip" of the iceberg? What you are seeing on the surface is only the very tip top of the iceberg...and it looks like you could easily go around it.  But remember the "Titanic"?  What was just under the surface was dangerously concealed from view...and it cost many people their lives.

Oh don't worry, I'm not going to "go postal" or anything like that.  At least I don't think I will. It would not be in my nature to do anything like that. But I have realized something about myself lately...I may not do anything overtly to hurt anyone else, but I may inadvertently be doing my own self a lot of harm. Why?  Because I am not letting go of the stresses that are overwhelming me.  Oh, I say a lot of good things and I believe that God is here with me and that He is carrying me through the storms of this life. I KNOW He is, or else I would be an even bigger basket case just about now. But I am harboring some rather insidious fears and anxieties.  I am smiling on the outside and saying I'm okay, but inside I am becoming a boiling inferno of stresses that I don't know how to control.  And it is taking its toll on my body. I am starting to come apart at the seams, or so it seems. Physical maladies are starting to mount up...and I am beginning to crumble under the weight.

I asked our Pastoral and Administrative staff at the church where I work today how I should handle this stress.  One suggestion was that I should just go outside somewhere and let it out...scream, cry, yell, let it go.  Another suggestion was that since I am a writer, I should write it out.  But I said I always try to write positive things for others to read. I was told to write out the negative feelings or heartaches and then destroy them.  Put it down on paper, and then burn it.  I thought those were good suggestions...and I am actually attempting to write more honestly what I am feeling...so bear with me.

Now don't get nervous or excited about what I am going through.  But I would ask you to pray. Pray that I will practice what I preach when it comes to my own self. Pray that I would allow myself some time to unwind and rest and let go.  Pray that I would not feel guilty or less than "perfect" if I can't handle everything the way I think I should. Pray that I would be honest and real and true to myself...and to my Lord. After all, He never said that I should carry these burdens on my own.  He never expected me to be perfect. As a matter of fact, He knew that I couldn't manage alone...and that is why He came to save me in the first place.  That's why He came to love me so much...because He knew that I could never love myself the way I should.

Actually, Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30:

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,

For I am gentle and lowly in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy and 

My burden is light."

There is an old hymn that I absolutely love, and have sung it many many times in my life. But only recently did I acknowledge that I wasn't truly living this message...or maybe I was...the negative phrases of the song definitely apply to me:

"What A Friend We Have in Jesus"....(sound familiar?  Sing along with me)

"What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!"

"Have we trials and temptations? 

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged--

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness--

Take it to the Lord in prayer."

"Are we weak and heavy laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge--

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer;

In His arms He'll take and shield thee;

Thou wilt find a solace there."

By: Joseph m. Scriven, 1819-1886

I know I think I take all my burdens to the Lord in prayer...but the evidence is mounting up that tells me differently. I may be carrying my burdens to the Lord in prayer, but I am not leaving them there. I am picking them back up and taking them back home with me. And that has to stop. Or I am not going to survive. It's as simple as that...and as serious as that.

Now I do feel some better. Writing is therapy for me.  Talking it out on paper helps me put things in perspective.  Also doing something physically active and somewhat mindless helps too...here's an example of me really getting into my therapeutic work:  

Note the amount of paint on me is almost equal to the amount of paint on the cabinet I am trying to paint. But that is good.  I feel so much better now.  Thank you for listening...and praying.

"In His arms He'll take and shield thee; 

Thou wilt find a solace there"

Click here for a link to some helpful "de-stressing" ideas  written during another time when I was feeling overwhelmed.  You'd think I'd learn.