Sermon Notes and Exciting News

This has certainly been a whirlwind week for us! I cannot even begin to tell you how exciting this week has been...because we've truly seen God at work in all the fine details of our lives...and also in the perfect timing of some very important events...

As most of you know, we have been trying to sell our home for quite a while, and we were just about to the point of giving up on the whole idea.  But then we found a house for sale in the area where we have been searching that pretty well met all of our criteria for what we were looking for in a "new to us home".   The price was right, the location was good, and the size of the house was better than we expected to find...and it was next to a little pond...what I've been dreaming about.

 It isn't perfect in that it will need some TLC, but it had more things right about it than wrong...and so we prayed. And we felt led to go ahead and make an offer after consulting our bank, etc., and determining that we could do that in good faith.   And they accepted our offer!

FYI, I am not going to show any pictures of the house just yet, as the outside needs some TLC, and I'd prefer to wait until we can get some things done before I show it...then maybe I'll post some before and after pictures.  So for now, just enjoy "the View", which you've already seen some of on my last blog post, https://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2019/06/friday-foto-friends-and-thankful.html
You just didn't know it yet!

While we were going back and forth with the seller about closing dates, etc., and making sure this was really something we could do even if our house did not sell right away...(but still praying it wouldn't be very long before it was sold...) our realtor called and said she had someone interested in looking at our house.  Of course we said yes, and hurried up and got the house cleaned up and ready for prospective buyers.  Much to our amazement, only a realtor showed up representing her clients, who were out of state. While we toured the house together, she was texting them on her cellphone, and they were asking her questions in her ear in her bluetooth! Oh the marvelous ways of modern technology! Hate it or love it...it really does make a big difference in how we do business these days. The clients had already seen pictures of our house online, but they had never been here in person...so they must really trust the judgement of this realtor!  Anyway,  to make a long story short, within an hour from when she left our house, our realtor called us to ask if we could be out of the house in 3 weeks, and if so, they would buy the house!!!  After a big gulp, we said "yes to the dress!" Or something like that...oh, that's a different kind of offer.  LOL.

So now, the next issue is passing inspections and the timing of closings...we will most likely close here on this house before we can close on our new house, so there will be a little gap in between where we must find a place to stay and figure out what to do with our furniture.  Well, again, God already had that worked out as well.  Our church parsonage will be empty in a week upon the departure of our present pastor, and our new pastor will not be using the parsonage since he already has a home nearby. So, we have been granted permission to stay in the parsonage until we can move into our home!  We are still working on what to do with our furniture, but have a plan in mind that we hope will work out.

All in all, we are just amazed at how God has brought all of these details together right on time...in His perfect timing, just like so many of you have reminded me throughout these long months of waiting. Thank you for always bringing me back to that truth when I seemed to be in despair. You have been such a blessing to me, and I thank the Lord for each one of you.

Now...on to the sermon notes for this week...First, a picture of our Pastor...today was his last Sunday with us, and he wanted to give the kids the usual "High Five" as they left the sanctuary for Children's Church... He was wearing his padded oven mitt to protect his hand as the kids love to take advantage of the opportunity to give him a real good swat on the hand as the congregation is singing "Jesus Loves Me" while they march out...

And here he is afterward examining his hand, which was still stinging even with the use of the oven mitt...but these are precious moments that these kids (and the pastor) will always remember.  We are all going to miss you, Pastor A.C.!!

Our speaker today was actually our director of music and worship, and she gave an excellent lesson from John 20:20...talking about "perfect vision"....

Starting at John 20:19 - 22

19.  "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, 

"Peace be with you."

20.  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side.  Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21.  So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

22.  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, 

"Receive the Holy Spirit."

Isn't it interesting that John 20:20 talks about sight?  "...The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord..."  Another translation says the disciples were "overjoyed" when they saw the Lord!  

We think of perfect vision, or visual acuity to be 20/20...

This story takes place after the crucifixion of Jesus, and the disciples were confused and unsure about their future.  But then they saw the Lord up close...and He offered Peace to them, and then breathed on them the Holy Spirit...

Then the disciples' vision increased...they could see everything more clearly...

Their vision was corrected to 20/20 by the Holy Spirit.

How do you see Jesus?

People in the world who do not know Christ cannot see anything clearly.

They have no clue what they are missing because of their lack of sight...

The Sadducees from last week's message couldn't see Christ or His resurrection...

People who do not know Christ have short-sighted vision. (near-sighted)

Sometimes we try to help people with food and shelter and things, but we tend to hold back and are unsure about sharing Christ with them

We need to keep a better focus on Jesus, and don't be discouraged...

There are others who may have accepted the Lord but have but have never truly walked with the Lord. They are farsighted.  They may dwell on the thinking of the tribulation and the end of the world, but they have vision difficulties when it comes to living in the present and serving God now. They go into hiding and don't share Christ but sit back and wait for the second coming.

We are supposed to preach the Gospel...

 In Mark 16:15 Jesus says to His disciples:

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

Hebrews 12:1-2

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race 

that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down a the right hand of God..."

• Fix our eyes on Jesus...keep on keeping on...
• Try to have no visual limitations...have 20/20 vision.  Use the corrective lenses of prayer, Bible Study, fellowship, attending church, and communicating with God.
• Our goal as Christians is to have 20/20 vision...
• One day in heaven we will see perfectly...(and see the bigger picture that God has been seeing all along...)

As we closed the service today we sang the following song. I've never heard this one before and it really blessed me, especially as we sang it all the way through.  I hope you will enjoy this song as much as I did...  "Have You Seen Jesus My Lord?"

I know I've seen Jesus My Lord in plain view this past week... how about you?

Final question: "Are our eyes fixed on Jesus?"  Something to think about...

Sermon Notes: FUMC, Interlachen, FL, Guest Speaker: Mrs. Carol Miller, 6/30/2019

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given. I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously. Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said. Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear... That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts. So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.

Going Out On a Limb ~ An Advent Devotional - recycled again

Happy Advent morning...I originally wrote this in 2015, just after retiring. Then I reposted it in 2016.  Well, after reading it again this morning, I thought to myself, I must have written this to a future me in 2018, because I needed to be reminded of these truths again today.  

We are again at a kind of crossroads in this journey of our lives.  As most of you know, we are trying to sell our home and make a move to a little community about thirty miles north of our present location.  We believe, by faith, that this is how the Lord is leading us as we make these plans.  However, we have been a little discouraged as there has not been much interest in our house yet...and then last night I learned that the house we were "keeping our eye on" in the new community now has a pending sale on it. We were not able to tie it up in any way without a contract on our present home...so we have to watch that house go away to someone else.  I know that God is in control...and the first thought (after my initial shock and meltdown that the house was sold) was that He must have a much better house waiting for us when the time is right.  And so today I wake up with renewed vision and faith in the God Who will not forsake those who seek Him!  I can't wait to see what He has in store for us!

Perhaps this message below will be an encouragement for you today to be willing to "go out on a limb" with Jesus.  After all, "that's where the fruit is!"

Here is the original post from 2015 (and repeated in 2016):

Mark Twain was quoted as saying:

"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is."

I love what Sarah Young wrote in "Jesus Calling" for December 9th:  (I'm recycling this post from 2015 on that date...yes, I know today is really Dec. 13th...don't panic! )

"Be willing to go out on a limb with Me. (Jesus).  If that is where I am leading you, it is the safest place to be.  Your desire to live a risk-free life is a form of unbelief.  Your longing to live close to Me is at odds with your attempts to minimize risk.  

You are approaching a crossroads in your journey.  In order to follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your tendency to play it safe.  

Let Me lead you step by step through this day.  

If your primary focus is on Me, you can walk along perilous paths without being afraid.  Eventually, you will learn to relax and enjoy the adventure of our journey together. 

 As long as you stay close to Me, My sovereign Presence protects you wherever you go."  

I particularly like this verse that she references at the end: 

Psalm 9:10 

"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; 

For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You."

Taking the step to retire (last year) was definitely one of these steps for me...going out on a limb...and certainly no longer playing it safe.  But I do know that the Lord is with me, and therefore I am daily learning to "relax and enjoy the adventure of our journey together".  Lord, help me to stay close to You so that Your Sovereign Presence will protect me wherever I go..  Amen.

Perhaps you may also be at a crossroads in your life today.  As we approach the end of another year, we are often faced with decisions about our future, and wonder what the New Year may hold in store for us.  I was reading in another place this morning about the seasons of our lives, and how sometimes it may feel like we are in an endless winter. We all have these "seasons" of difficult issues; financial problems, illness, career changes, or retirement, family/relationship concerns.  But when we place our trust in the One Who is able to guide us through these turbulent times...when we allow ourselves to let go of our own sense of security...the trunk of the tree...and step out on that limb and focus our eyes on Jesus, the Source of our true security and hope, we find that truly that IS where the fruit is...the fruit of peace, joy, and renewed strength.

Read what the prophet Isaiah says in chapter 40, verses 27-31~

"Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel;

'My way is hidden from the Lord, 

and my just claim is passed over by my God?'

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The Everlasting God, the Lord,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak,

and to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

and the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the Lord

shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint."

As we continue in this time of waiting the Advent of our Lord...not just for Christmas, but for His return for us, His chosen Bride...let us focus our eyes on Him who is able to renew our strength and ask that He give us the courage to stretch our faith as we step out on those proverbial limbs of life. He will be there to catch us should we start to fall...and He will lift us back up onto His wings and carry us on to reach that fruit He has promised us if we just put our trust in Him.  

What wonderful hope is this? Amen!!

The God of Surprises

8/1/2017 UPDATE NOTE:  I like to look back and see what I was doing/thinking in previous years around this same date, and I came across this post, which was written on 8/2/15, just a few months before I retired. I am sure that is the big decision that I was wrestling with on that particular day. I am happy to say that I did retire as planned, and that it was the best decision I ever made! (Well, apart from getting married and having babies, that is!)  God has been with me throughout these days and has provided all our needs even better than I ever expected.  I want to share this post with you today, because there may be someone out there struggling with some kind of important decision, and perhaps there will be something here for you as well!  Our God IS the God of surprises...good things that He wants to share with us and bless us.  We just have to trust Him to lead the way and not worry about the future.  He has us in the palm of His hand...and we need not fear!!

Original Post 8/2/2015:
"When everything seems to be going wrong, refuse to get discouraged.  Remember that I AM a God of surprises: I am not limited by the way things are or by the paltry possibilities you can see.  I am infinitely creative and powerful. With ME all things are possible!"   

From Jesus Today, 

by Sarah Young, #39.

  

I read this particular passage in Sarah Young's Jesus Today  a couple of days ago, and it impressed me so much that I made a notation at the bottom of the page with the date I had read it so that I would look back at that on a future date and remember...

That future date was today, just five days later.  I've been wrestling with some personal decisions and thought I had it all figured out...and then got hit with a reality check and it appeared that all my dreams and aspirations were going to fall flat and I would have to give it up.  Last night before I fell asleep I asked my husband to please pray for me because I was so frustrated, disappointed and feeling rather despondent.  He prayed the sweetest prayer and asked the Lord to comfort me and to restore my faith and hope.  I drifted off to sleep with a tiny flicker of hope in my heart, but still doubting that anything would change.

This morning I woke up feeling refreshed and rested, but still wasn't too sure that anything could change. Actually, I just didn't think about it at all.  Sunday mornings are busy for us, preparing our house for our home Bible study and worship service in addition to the normal routines of breakfast, getting dressed and sometimes even taking a quick walk.  Today we had the added "pleasure" of removing a tick off of my husband's back and trying to dig the head out when it refused to detach itself.  (Yes, we live in the woods. Ticks are pretty common here...something to check for constantly). That certainly was not something we wanted to tackle on a Sunday morning when we were supposed to be preparing ourselves for worship and delving into the Scriptures.  But it kept my mind off of other things.

During our Bible Study time we prayed for others who are going through difficult times, both in health issues and other personal issues, but I didn't think to mention my concerns.  God already knew what was on my heart.  One of the members of our group...actually the only one who came today due to many of the others having health issues or other personal issues keeping them away...and this particular one was having her own serious concerns but she wanted to come anyway...she said that she wanted to pray for our family...and that she does pray for us every day...whether she knows anything in particular to pray for or not...and that touched my heart. I didn't HAVE to say anything...God was already working on it.

This eagle is a reminder of God's "surprises"

So after our service was over and everyone went home and we retreated back into our normal routine again...changing clothes, preparing lunch, etc., I suddenly thought of something I had totally forgotten about...a possible answer to my dilemma! It was one of those "lightbulb over the head" moments...you know, when the little light comes on and you have an idea...or you become "enlightened" about something heretofore hidden from your view/thoughts?  Could that have been an answer to prayers so quickly?  Could it have been God's way of reminding me to:

"Remember that I am a God of surprises: I am not limited by the way things are or by the paltry possibilities you can see.  I am infinitely creative and powerful.  

With ME all things are possible!"  (see Matthew 19:26)

I can only say that it was information that I needed to be able to proceed with "the plan".  It was the encouragement I needed to have hope restored.  

One of the other verses referenced in this particular passage from Jesus Today is Lamentations 3:25-26:

"The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,

to the soul who seeks Him.

It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

God has shown me through this little experience that I need to be patient and wait on the Lord to work out all of the details before I start making plans...but that once He has given me a dream (and I do believe it comes from Him), He will bring it to pass in HIS time.  I do not need to fear or lose hope when things don't look exactly like I'd planned or when the timing is a little off from MY timing...I just need to trust Him to work it out HIS way, in HIS time.  He knows my needs, and He also knows my heart.  He has already dispatched helpers to come to my rescue even before I knew I needed them.

Another portion of the passage from Sarah Young's Jesus Today #39 says the following:

"Through eyes of faith, see Me (God) on the path before you, beckoning you on,

one step at a time.  Looking to Me consistently will increase your strength and valor."

Yes, Lord, help me to keep my eyes focused on YOU consistently as I take one step at a time. It is comforting to know that YOU are already there, and that You have already made provision for ALL my need.  Praise God!  Amen.

The Secret Garden Chronicles-Seeking The Lord

Sitting in the Secret Garden this afternoon was a challenge.  Lately I'm finding that I'm a bit less attentive to the Lord and more interested in what's going on around me.  I am easily distracted by the birds

and bees

and flowers

and trees...(palmettos!)

and it seems as though God has to keep snapping His fingers to say, "Oh Pam, I'm over here! Please look at Me!"

And so I open my Bible, seeking the Lord's face and His words, and this is what I find:

"But from there you will seek the Lord your God,

and you will find Him if you seek

Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Deuteronomy 4:29

Ah, Yes, Lord God...perhaps that is the problem...I'm seeking You with my head and not my heart and soul.  In my head I know that's what I ought to be doing, but like a child I need to be directed to seek You fully with all my heart and soul...and all my senses tuned into Your voice.

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters;"

Isaiah 55:1

This reminds me of a song that I loved to sing so many years ago, but haven't heard it in so long: (click on the link to sing along with the song)

"Ho, everyone that is thirsty in spirit!

Ho, everyone that is weary and sad!

Come to the fountain;

There's fullness in Jesus--

All that you're longing for;

come and be glad.

Chorus:

"I will pour water on him who is thirsty,

I will pour floods upon the dry ground;

Open your heart for the gift I am bringing,

While ye are seeking Me, 

I will be found."

Child of the world,

are you tired of your bondage?

Weary of earth-joys, so false, so untrue;

Thirsting for God,

and His fullness of blessing?

List to the promise--

a message for you.

(Chorus)

Child of the kingdom,

be filled with the Spirit,

Nothing but fullness thy longing can meet;

'Tis the enduement for life and for service--

Thine is the promise, so certain so sweet.

Chorus:

"I will pour water on him who is thirsty,

I will pour floods upon the dry ground;

Open your heart for the gift I am bringing,

While ye are seeking Me, 

I will be found."

(Ho, Everyone That is Thirsty, by Lucy J. Rider)

Isaiah 55:6.  

"Seek the Lord while He may be found.

Call upon Him while He is near."

Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4:13-14

"Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,

but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him 

will never thirst.

But the water that I shall give him will become in him a 

fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

And with the woman at the well I cry,

"Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst,

nor come here to draw."

(John 4:15)

Yes, Lord!  I'm thirsty for Your living water...I tend to run dry when I try to do things in my own strength, and I get off the track of where You were leading me...I know You have a plan for my life that is higher than my plans and thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9), and I also know that Your Word is true, and it will accomplish what YOU please...and will prosper in the thing for which You sent it...(Isaiah 55:11),  so please guide me.  Keep me on the right track here, Lord, I pray. I want whatever I do to bring glory to You...and not to me.  Because when I get my eyes off of You and back on to me, I run dry...I get thirsty...and I lose my way.   Thank You for bringing me back into the right place. This is my prayer today, Lord.  Amen.

The Secret Garden Chronicles-Day 11-Seeking God's Face

When I sat down in the Secret Garden today,  my first thought was to look at the "Be Still and Know that I Am God" sign that my son posted in the garden for me..and as I gazed upon it, I prayed:

"Lord, help me to do just that--to be still--to focus 

my thoughts totally on You,

and not on anything else."

And then this little bird flew up into the treetop above me, and he caught my attention because I didn't recognize what kind of bird he was.  All I could see was that he was tiny and had a brown head and light underbelly.  I tried to focus my camera on him, but it wouldn't come in clearly...possibly because of the leaves moving in the breeze all around it, or also because the bird kept moving from one tiny branch to another...

So in my frustration I said something out loud, like, "Why can't you be still so I can see you?  Okay, I guess you don't want me to take your picture today!" and with that, I turned off my camera and tried to re-focus my thoughts on the Lord, and what He would say to me today.

I opened my Bible, and it fell open to Psalm 27, probably because that is where my marker was from this morning's devotions.

And my eyes went directly to verses 7-10.  

7.  "Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8.  When You said, "Seek My face," 

my heart said to You,

"Your face, Lord, I will seek."

9.  Do not hide Your face from me;

Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not leave me nor forsake me,

O God of my salvation.

10.  When my father and my mother forsake me,

then the Lord will take care of me."

And I thought to myself, "That sounds like me trying to see the face of that little bird a few minutes ago!"  How often do we cry out to the Lord, and even beg Him, "Listen to me!  Hear my voice when I cry out to You!"

It also reminded me that apparently I was having a bad dream last night, and my husband had to wake me up because I was crying out in my sleep.  I'm not sure what that was all about...I vaguely remember that something or someone was making me upset and afraid, and I started to cry out...one of those anxiety dreams that happen when we aren't even consciously aware that we are anxious about anything, but our subconscious knows and we cry out-- to GOD for help!!

Anyway, the Lord responds to our cries...even those that come from somewhere deep within us that we dare not express outwardly...and He says, lovingly and tenderly, "Seek My face."  

And we look up again with our whole heart and mind and say, sometimes with tears streaming down our face, 

"Your face, Lord, I will seek."

About this time, as I was reading this passage, I looked up, and that little bird had flown up to the tip-top of a dead tree, 

and perched there for all the world to see.  It was as if he was saying,

"Here I am! 

You said you wanted to see me more clearly?

Here I am...

focus in on me now!

Take a good look!"

And I thought about the Lord, and how often we get frustrated because we can't quite see Him or hear His voice, and it is because there is so much of the world in the way...the noise of the crowds, and the debris of too many conflicts, anxieties and just junk, causing our view of Him to become out of focus.  But when we seek His face alone...we find that He is right there in plain view, waiting for us to zoom our lens of faith and trust onto His glorious face.

"I would have lost heart, 

unless I had believed that I would see 

the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

and He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Psalm 27:13-14

Sometimes we just need to learn to WAIT on the Lord,

and stay tuned in to His Voice and His Face, 

because He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. 

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting."

Psalm 139:23-24

Amen.

Hello, It's Mushy-Headed Me!

Yes, it's me...trying to keep cool in our "lovely pool" in the summer heat. (Ha!! Some things you just have to leave to the imagination.) Pardon the white legs. You may need to put on your sunglasses.  I don't get out in the sun much due to my fair complexion and the high heat.  Try not to laugh too hard.

I thought I'd better post something on my blog before you think I've abandoned it.  No, I haven't gone away...just haven't had much to say.  I went to my doctor for a check up the other day, and I told him I felt kind of "mushy headed"...couldn't think clearly, fuzzy on the brain, feeling fatigued. In addition to finally talking me into taking medication for my extremely high cholesterol level, (after my years of failed attempts to control it by diet and fish oil, etc., you know the routine)  the doctor ordered some lab work to check my thyroid, but not until my next appointment in October. By then I could have a totally moldy brain.   But that's the new protocol apparently for medicare patients...you are only allowed so many appointments per year and lab tests unless it is considered urgent.  I guess I wasn't quite mushy headed enough to warrant an emergency.  Ha.

So, I decided to try and fight through this "purple haze" and write something whether I have anything worth saying or not.  In light of all the turmoil and terror in our world, I would like to try and be positive and offer hope.  How can I do that, when I feel a sense of hopelessness creeping in to my fuzzy mind?  I don't even want to turn on the television anymore for fear of more "breaking news".    

So, this is what I am trying to do to cut through the fuzz:

• Start each day by reading from God's Word and following a good daily devotional guide.
  
• Pray...for my family, friends, our nation and world.
• Daily look for ways to be thankful for all that God has done for us.  
• Look for ways to share God's love with others.
  
• 
  
• Find ways to get some exercise and fresh air every day, preferably before the thermometer reaches 95 degrees.  Early morning walks and after supper walks are daily goals. Take photographs of anything interesting along the way.
  

• Eat a good healthy diet, avoiding too much cholesterol, sugar, and junk foods.



Homemade Ice Cream on the 4th of July is exempt

• Spend my spare recreational indoor time writing and/or reading good inspirational books or other uplifting articles, rather than watching television or spending too much time on the computer.  
  
• Find new ways to exercise my mind by taking on realistic, reasonable projects, puzzles or other creative activities.  
  

Most of all, in order to restore peace, calm and an uncluttered order to my mind I must fix my eyes on my heavenly Father, the Creator and Sustainer of all life.  

Here is a passage of Scripture that speaks to me...and possibly to you if you can relate to the things I've been discussing above:

II Corinthians 4:15-18

"For all things are for your sakes, 

that grace, having spread through the many, 

may cause thanksgiving to abound

to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart.  

Even though our outward man (or woman) is perishing,

yet the inward man (or woman) is being renewed day by day.

For our light affliction,

which is but for a moment,

is working for us a far more exceeding 

and eternal weight of glory;

While we do not look  at the things

which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.

For the things which are seen are temporary,

but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Perhaps this post speaks to your "mushy head" today as well.  I pray that you will also seek God first and foremost in your life...and that you will NOT LOSE HEART.  

Here's another passage to encourage us along this race of life:

"Therefore we also,

since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, 

let us lay aside every weight,

and the sin which so easily ensnares us, 

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus,

the Author and Finisher of our faith,

Who for the joy that was set before Him

endured the cross,

despising the shame, 

and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:2

So who's ready to run this race with me?   Keeping our eyes focused on Jesus as our leader...we will grow stronger and happier every day.  Let's get going and drive away all the fuzzy, mushy heads!  

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!"

Philippians 4:13

Amen.

I Saw the Light!

I know some of you are probably wondering what this picture is all about.  It is rather unusual, isn't it?  Well, that is the new view from my front porch.  One evening as I was relaxing and rocking in my new rocking chair,

my eyes were suddenly blinded by this bright light shining through the trees.

 I thought to myself, "Hmmm, that's never happened before in this spot. Something is different!"  After a few minutes of exploration in the wooded area directly in front of the porch, I discovered that an old tree had blown down, which knocked over another smaller tree, causing its leafy abundance to be pinned to the ground and creating an empty spot in the foliage where it once stood. Even though we removed the dead tree from the top of the young tree, it was too late to save it.

Quite frankly, I am not too happy about this new vista from my porch, as it truly does leave an opening for the evening sun to shine rather too brightly and directly into my line of sight.  This is somewhat annoying to me...it has disturbed my peaceful, secluded and shady haven where I try to unwind and relax at the end of a stressful day.  I mean, I've worked so hard to create this space so I can sit here and watch the birds, listen to the sounds of nature surrounding me...and now this extremely bright shaft of evening sunlight is piercing through the cool shadows of dusk and infiltrating my serenity with an unsettling aura of blazing glaring light.  

What to do, what to do?  I cannot replace the tree that quickly....and I certainly don't want to hang some kind of shade to obscure the light, as that would block out other lovely trees as well, and I might miss a bird flitting to and fro as it gathers its last seeds of the evening before retiring for the night. 

I know some of you are probably saying, "She thinks she has problems? Hasn't she noticed that the world is in chaos and people are being flooded out of their homes and would love to see the light of day...others are dying, starving, hurting...and she's worried about the sunlight bothering her as she rocks on her porch?"  Yes, I have noticed...part of the reason I love to sit on the porch in the evening is to avoid watching the evening news. But that's another whole subject. (Added note: I not only NOTICE the news of the world and country, but I often use this time on the porch to pray for those affected. I am not ignoring their plight...but prayer is the only real weapon I have that can do anything about it right now.)

There must be some kind of lesson here for me...and as I've been writing this, I've been asking the Lord just what this is all about.  The message I'm hearing in my heart is this:

"I don't want you to get too comfortable or shut away from the rest of the world entirely.  I still have work for you to do.  There are people who need the light that you possess."

II Corinthians 4:6-7 says,

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."

See, I've been wanting more and more to get ready to "retire" and to sit back and enjoy life for awhile.  There is nothing wrong with that...I've certainly earned it.  (even if there is no money to back it up).  But I think what I am hearing is that my so-called retirement, when it ever comes, will not be one of just fun and games and doing what I want to do. I'm not supposed to get too comfortable in my rocking chair on the front porch and watch the world go by.  God has opened a new window of light to get my focused attention on Him and His plan.  I don't know exactly what that plan is today, but I have a feeling that it will be revealed in due time.  Meanwhile, I'll just get some sunglasses to wear while I rock on the porch and follow the rest of the "Porch Rules"...

Please pray or sing the words to this old familiar hymn with me:

"Open my eyes, that I may see

Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;

Place in my hands the wonderful key

That shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for Thee,

Ready, my God, Thy will to see;

Open my eyes, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

Open my ears, that I may hear

Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;

And while the wave-notes fall on my ear,

Everything false will disappear.

Silently now I wait for Thee,

Ready my God, Thy will to see;

Open my ears, illumine me,

Spirit divine!

Open my mouth, and let me bear

Gladly the warm truth everywhere;

Open my heart, and let me prepare

Love with Thy children thus to share.

Silently now I wait for Thee,

Ready my God, Thy will to see;

Open my heart, illumine me, 

Spirit divine!

Written by Charles H. Scott, 1923

Yes, Lord, "Silently now I wait for Thee...Ready my God, Thy will to see; Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit Divine!"  AMEN.

Keep Looking Up!

Interesting...Just as I was starting to write this post, I was attempting to come up with a good title, while in the background I could hear my 91 year old mother in law talking with my husband about our church service today. He asked her what she got out of the service, and she said, "We need to keep looking up!"  I almost choked, because she had NO idea what I was in the process of writing at that exact moment!

Please note the picture at the top of this page. Most likely you will notice the Osprey perched on the top of the dead tree branches immediately, and then if you look down you will see the dogwood flowers a little blurry in the forefront.  Let me tell you about this picture, and then see if you get the connection!

With the onset of daylight savings time last weekend and warmer spring days, I have determined to get out and walk more often, taking pictures of anything that "moves" me at the moment.  Yesterday morning I headed out early, camera in hand, looking for signs of spring.  The dogwood, azaleas, wildflowers, and berries are starting to bloom, the birds are actively building their nests and busily feeding their young.  As I was focusing on the dogwood trees in and around the edge of the woods, I glanced up at the perfect blue sky, and there, looking down at me, was this magnificent huge osprey!

Of course, I immediately shifted my focus (there's that "One Word" again!) to view the osprey for as long as he would allow... which was, as you can see by the pictures, obviously quite a while...and would have been longer but it was time for me to get going.

And as I stood there snapping these photos I couldn't help but think, "I almost missed this marvelous experience because I wasn't looking up!"

I wonder...how often in life have we missed out on some marvelous experience because we weren't "looking up"?  It appears to be in our human nature to focus on the here and now, the stuff of life that is surrounding us, oftentimes pulling us downward and blinding us to the bigger picture...the grandeur of the greater plan...the great panorama of the magnificent tapestry of God's design He intended for our lives.

 We tend to get "tunnel vision"...only seeing a very narrow view of life from our limited earth-bound perspective...and missing the higher viewpoint of God's perfect plan.

God said to Jeremiah the prophet in Jeremiah 29:11 ~

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

 We need to be more like the Psalmist who wrote:

 "I will lift up my eyes to the hills--from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to be moved;  He Who keeps you will not slumber. "  Psalm 121:1-3

What's funny is, when my husband asked his mother what she got out of the church service this morning, and her quick response was "Keep Looking Up"...that actually had nothing to do with the service today at all...at least not in word or song or theme...and yet, that is what she heard and felt.  My thought is, yes, that IS the message of God's Word to us always, everyday!

KEEP LOOKING UP!  

Keep looking up to Jesus...Fix your eyes on Him!  Why? Well, because...

"The LORD is your keeper;

The LORD is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day, 

nor the moon by night.  

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; 

He shall preserve your soul.

The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in

from this time forth,

and even forevermore!"

Psalm 121:5-8

So, where are YOU going to look today?

Here is a link to another post I think you will like from Psalm 121:1-8  , entitled, "God is a Lot Like Mt. Washington".