"Zip a Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-a-Dee-ay"

"Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
My, oh, my, what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine headin' my way
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!

Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder
It's the truth, it's "actch'll"
Everything is "satisfactch'll"
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!"

(from Walt Disney's "Song of the South")

Does that happy little song bring back sweet memories of your childhood? It sure does mine...Uncle Remus and Br'er Rabbit...and singing "Zip a dee doo dah, Zip a dee ay!"

Well today was one of those kind of days...a beautiful sunshiny day...it actually felt like spring again after last week's dip back into winter.  Although I hear we may be getting some more wintry weather later this week...today was just "satisfactch'll"

Mr. Bluebird wasn't exactly on my shoulder, but the truth is, he was on my bird bath and then on my pine tree:

Imagine my amazement as I sat on the back deck just relaxing, and then this bluebird landed on the birdbath right in front of me:

He turned around and said hello to "Bobby" the Squirrel...

And then he said "Zip- a -dee-doo-day, zip-a-dee-ay" I'm flying out of here...

But curiosity got the better of him, and he came back a few minutes later...not sure if it was "Bobby the Squirrel" he was interested in, or if he wanted to get another look at the crazy lady on the deck with the camera:

Next he flew to the pine tree and sat there for a while, playing peek-a-boo with me.

I'm sure he thought I couldn't see him, so he was safe to sit there and take a peek at me...

 Oops, better turn my head and not let her get a good look at me...

Well, maybe just another little peek...

"I think I'd better fly up to that other tree and get where I'm safely hidden from prying eyes"

And so he flew away, but hopefully he'll be back another day. Now I need to find a bird house and get it fastened out there somewhere so maybe he'll stay and bring his wife and family...

As I watched that clip of that song above with Uncle Remus and the children, I noticed that there were many other critters skipping along with them as they sang. I didn't quite see all of those special creatures today, but I did see a few others that were interesting:

Early this morning the Canadian Geese were getting quite close on our shore, and they were being stalked by a neighborhood cat who just happened to be passing through the yard:

 She kind of crept alongside them for a while....

But then she was off to better hunting grounds and they stood and watched her go...

 I'm sure they were quite relieved...

And then later this afternoon these Suwannee Cooter turtles were sunning themselves on a log in the pond.

 They look quite content and peaceful just relaxing in the sunshiny day...

I noticed there was a little brown dog in the movie clip running alongside the children...and sure enough, this little brown dog came trotting through our yard this afternoon.  Not sure where he came from or where he was going...he paused for a minute and said hello, and I said hello back to him, and he sniffed around and off he went. My son says he has seen him come through the yard before. He seems to be healthy and friendly, so I assume he belongs to someone although I didn't see a collar, but perhaps he just goes on a daily run through the neighborhood. Of course there are leash laws that are supposed to keep that from happening...but sometimes little brown dogs just have to break the rules. I hope he stays safe and gets back home okay.

So now I am singing that little tune and having that "wonderful feeling"...it's a "wonderful day".

I believe the Lord gave me this happy little interlude this afternoon as I am beginning to prepare for my surgery one week from today. Today we went shopping to get some things stocked up here at the house. I am trying to get things organized here at home so it won't be too difficult for hubby to take care of things in my absence (or even when I am back home and still unable to fully participate for a while).

Yesterday at church I was so completely surprised, blessed and thankful that our Pastor called me and another gentleman, who is also going to be having surgery this week, along with our families and anyone else who wanted to come and stand with us and lay hands upon us as he prayed for us. It was such a beautiful and spirit filled time of prayer on our behalf, and I truly felt the Presence of the Lord, and just as Jesus laid His hands on so many throughout His years of ministry and healed them, I believe that Christ is still reaching His hands out to us through His ministers and people of faith and that there is healing in those hands. I thank the Lord for this blessing and gift.

Our pastor's sermon yesterday was entitled "Forgiveness is a Product of Repentance", based on the passage in Luke 15:1-10. One key verse was verse 10:

"I say to you that likewise there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Luke 19:10 says: "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." 

Repentance = "to change one's mind", "to turn away from something", "to make an about-face in your life."
Salvation is Christ's message. He is calling us away from what is destroying our lives toward what will totally change our lives.
"Repentance refers to practice of continual self-examination and turning away from anything that destroys or diminishes our relationship with God."
In Psalm 51, King David  is praying a psalm of repentance after his sin with Bathsheba.  In verse 3 he acknowledges his sin. In verse 4 he recognizes that his sin is against God. Sin has stolen the joy from his life.

• Sin steals the joy from our lives.  David asked for cleansing.  He repented of his great sin and asked God to restore the "joy of Your salvation." (verse 12) 
• Forgiveness is a product of repentance.  We receive forgiveness whenever we repent.  
• Repentance should be a part of our daily communication with God, for we have all sinned. 

In Exodus chapter 32 the people sinned when they made a Golden Calf and worshiped it in place of Almighty God.

• What are the "golden calves" that we have made and worship today? They can be very subtle...
• What keeps me from drawing closer to God? 

Perhaps we need to identify that Golden Calf in our lives and repent and turn back to the Lord.  And the Lord will forgive us and restore the joy of our salvation when we turn from that which is separating us from Him.

Sermon Notes: FUMC, Interlachen, FL, Pastor John Bennett, 02/23/2020

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.

There is such joy when we know we are forgiven of our sins...and then we can sing along with the song above "Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee ay!! Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!!  I hope you have this great joy in your heart too!

Examine Yourself

Some notes I took from Sunday's sermon:

The 40 Days of Lent-does not include Sundays because they are days of celebrating the Resurrection of Christ.

II Corinthians 13:5~ 

"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?...unless indeed you are disqualified."

Examine yourself...what is in your heart?
Jesus did not open soup kitchens or feed the homeless, but He fed the multitude...He denied Himself and sacrificed of Himself...He fasted and prayed...and we should also spend time in "self-examination".
"Jesus isn't concerned about what we are giving up...but what is going on in our hearts"...
"Lent is a call from God to look at what is important in your life...and what are you going to do about it?"
Reflect on the suffering of Jesus in light of our own personal sinfulness...give up our sinful attitudes...
Lent is an attitude of honesty, humility, before God.

Matthew 15:8 

"These people draw near to Me with their mouth, 

and honor Me with their lips,

but their heart is far from Me."

What is your heart saying to you today?

Will you stand firm on what Jesus has taught you?

Can you get excited about Jesus?

(Sermon notes from First United Methodist Church, Interlachen, FL, Pastor A.C. Myers, 2/18/2018)

********

I started writing this post early this morning before I heard the news about Rev. Billy Graham's passing into heaven today.  My first thought was what a celebration must be going on in heaven today...I told my husband that I wished I could have been there to witness the excitement when Billy Graham entered heaven's gates! And do you know what my hubby told me?  He said that there will be just as much excitement in heaven on the day that I enter those gates as well...I told him I didn't think so.  Not me...my life is no comparison to Billy Graham's life. I haven't led thousands and thousands of people to Jesus over more than seventy years of faithful service to the Lord...

but the Bible says in Psalm 116:15

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints"...

We are all precious in His sight...

and when we repented of our sins and accepted Jesus as our Savior, the Bible says there was much rejoicing in heaven...

"I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."

Luke 15:7

Can you imagine how many people are in heaven today because of the faithful witness of one man, Billy Graham?  Imagine how much rejoicing there has been in heaven throughout the years when those thousands of people repented of their sins and believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior!  So, I guess the celebration has been going on for years and years and years...and it isn't over yet.  Because of his faithful witness, that message continues on through the lives of many people who are still sharing the Gospel with others...it will go on for generation after generation. 

"Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents..."  Luke 15:10

Back to the original thought of this post:

Examine Yourself...

II Corinthians 13:5~ 

"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?...unless indeed you are disqualified."

Be sure you are in the faith...have you truly repented and accepted God's free gift of salvation through faith in His Son Jesus Christ?

II Corinthians 6:2

"For He says:

In an acceptable time I have heard you,

and in the day of salvation I have helped you."  

"Behold, Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

None of us knows how long we may have on this earth. Billy Graham had almost 100 years and he lived the majority of those years serving God and winning lost souls to Christ. 

We need to examine ourselves while there is yet time and be sure of our own salvation...it's not too late to cause a little rejoicing in heaven...

https://billygraham.org/video/billy-graham/