Do You Believe in Miracles, #1LinerWed

Good morning friends. Hope you are all well this morning. I bring you bits of encouragement today hoping to ease a small part of your anxieties and fears. I create these encouragements each day for my church friends and thought I would share this one with you.

Yesterday I saw something that really made me think about things a little differently. It reminded me that people are all at different levels of belief in Christ and as long as we love them at the level that they are at, they will continue to grow and they will get to where they need to be when they get there. It can not be forced or it looses it value.

If we pay close attention to everything around us, we can see God’s miracles everywhere. Miracles are not always profound acts of God but sometimes seemingly insignificant happenings that when several of them come together at the same time create a miracle for someone needing it.

As an example: A virus has swept the globe, closed business, shut people inside and closed churches. Is the church a building really closed, NO! The church is strong and look how we have come together as a family to support each other, all over the world. Through technology we are sharing love, kindness and togetherness in ways we would have never thought before. Some people are going out of their way and their own safety zones to provide things for others who don’t have the ability to provide for themselves.

Helping the elderly

Medical personnel

Letters of encouragement and kindness

Every day is a miracle and miracles are God’s way of showing us He is always here.

While we are praying for a miracle to help us get though this, look around, they are happening all around us. We just need His eyes to see it. May you see His love around you today.

As we look around in hope of catching a glimpse of God’s love at work, remember to always be kind.

Linda G Hill gives us fun prompt for hump day with One Line Wednesdays to help us get to the second half of the week. Come join in on the fun.

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Animals

Jansenphoto has a fun Tuesday Photo challenge and I haven’t played in awhile. But today was right up my alley, animals, and I had to play.

As pet owners across this world, we think we have pets for our fun and entertainment but truth be known, we are the pets and they are the owners. Example: Can’t you wait two minutes until the commercial? Answer, No – Fine. Thank goodness for the pause button.

Then of course when it is time for bed, who really owns it and can I please get in? It’s not your bed!

IMG_20200218_131043 — What do you mean it’s not my bed??

And of course, I just HAD to have another dog…so now the sofa is somewhat off limits as well. I get the end edge.

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Then you have those pets with attitude and the proverbial ability of talking back. I don’t know if your dogs do this trick but two out of the three dogs in this house do.

The grumbling mumbling tone I hear says “Do you not understand what I am telling you?” And of course, she is teaching Daisy all the tricks.

My daughter lives downstairs in the basement and her dog Max has looks that can kill, or make you roll over laughing.

IMG_20190526_223145 — I can’t believe you asked me that question!

But we love our furbabies. From cats to dogs to exotics, they make us smile and bring us joy. Especially now that we are cooped up inside our homes. May you enjoy my furbabies and I look forward to seeing the animals you post.

And as always I remind you to be kind. Right now we all need the help and kindness of each other to survive this mess.

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Strength of a Tea Bag

Today I am feeling a bit philosophical but really have no clue what that means. To me it means I have an analogy I would like to share. If you are a tea drinker, you will understand this analogy but if not, bear with me, maybe you will understand my rambling mind.

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We are all rambling of late, looking for ways to entertain ourselves, being jealous of those who get to go to work while being so grateful we don’t have to go out there. Its a conundrum.

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There are a myriad of postings on line concerning extroverts not being able to tolerate being stuck inside and how they are coping. I consider myself a “tween”. Definitely not an introvert but not a extrovert either. Maybe that is because at my age I have mellowed. But no, I think the real reason is because of the tea bag.

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When we are running full steam ahead with life, we forget who really is in control. Then our tea bag gets into hot water giving us a false security in its strength. But once the tea bag is used it can no longer provide the strength we thought we had.

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What we don’t seem to realize is our strength is just as frail and porous as the paper around the tea bag. It is our deep weakness is our full strength, providing we tap into it. For when we finally give up our strength and admit our weakness, God then can be our strength. And His strength is perfect.

grace2 — My power is made perfect in your weakness

So I challenge you today to rely on His strength. Allow Him to carry you through all of your trials today and the days to come. Remember He is always there with you where ever you go.

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And lastly I encourage you, especially during this time, to remember the value of kindness and let is ripples flow out from you where ever you go.

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Frustrations into Lessons

Today I want to talk about dogs, shocker, I know. But more specifically rescue dogs. This morning as I was on a mad and frustrating search for Mimi’s collar due to their wrestling antics last night, the Lord turned on a light bulb in my head about rescues and I wanted to share that with you this this afternoon.

If we allow it, God always turns our frustrating moments into a lesson.

These is Mimi and Daisy Mae, both are rescues. Mimi is the one farther back and Daisy has the white markings.

Rescue dogs have a very different view on life and the relationship with their owner depending on where they came from. I see this as similar to how we look at God. At one point though, if we are a believer in God, we were all rescued by His love, maybe not from a bad situation but from a situation that could cause us harm. And He stepped in to rescue us.

Jesus reaches down to us as God holds on to Him

My dogs are loud protectors, letting me know the instant when someone is on the sidewalk, a cat walks through the yard or the squirrel is again getting in the feeder while the bird watches disgustingly on.

My dogs are ever watchful over me. And God is ever watchful over all of us. As we wake up every single day, we are rescued from the trials of yesterday, fortified to stand before the trials of today because He rescues us and stands with us every moment of every day.

Currently things are going crazy around us and unfortunately some us are going to get trapped in it needing rescuing. And while the rescuing to us may look like an non-rescue or the loss of a loved one, to Him it is a full rescue as he brings them home. So we stand firm and pray hard for all of THE church family across the world and for those needing to come into the fold of His love. One day we will come out of this but let us never lose the lessons of His love that has been spread out over the entire world as he tries to rescue us and pull us into his lap of love and peace.

May you all have a very blessed and peaceful day as we sit in His lap of caring and rescue. I remind us now especially in this time of severe trial, we need to always be be kind.

Value of a Hug, 1LinerWed

You never really understand the value of something until you lose it, even if temporarily.

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In keeping with Linda Hills One Liner Wednesday prompt, come join in on the fun.

And as always, remember to be kind. A shout out to all of the heroes who are keeping this world going. Thank you for sharing your light.

Gods Light Kindness

Spring is Finally here…Nope Just Kidding

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Twas the night before tax day, here in the US

Everyone hunkered down, for the fear of virus

Our doors were brightly covered in unity of red

In hope that the virus would soon be dead

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The people were nestled all snug in their beds

While visions of hugging danced through their heads

I rose from my bed for more movies of old

Must take the dogs first, get me jacket, its cold

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I open my door and what do I see

But three inches of snow on the ground just for me.

I run back inside for proper clothes for snow

For the craziness of lock-down had taken its toll

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With silliness and laughter I roll in the snow

The dogs looked on…do I to stay or do I go

After a brief moment they piled in too

As tensions was released with a loud yahoo.

Anita Neal

I was expecting flurries last night, not inches so I was surprised to see what we had. Last week’s temps were in the 70s. Old man winter’s one last hurrah I guess. Ground was too warm to be an issue there so that was good for the heroes that needed to get out. I pray you are all safe and snug in your homes as we wait out this crisis that has covered the entire world. I could think of a lot better ways for us to connect with one another than a pandemic. Be safe everyone and remember now more than ever – be kind.

Choose being kind and you will always be right. | Inspiring quotes ...

Winter or Spring? SMM Fun

Heavens Sunshine has a fun prompt for Monday’s of each week, giving you a week to get the post made, cuz some of us need more time…but the prompt is macro photography, Sunshine’s Macro Monday. Currently I use my phone but am hoping by fall I can buy a real camera, some things this phone camera will not do.

Well, it is currently 29 degrees in Iowa. Don’t know about you but that is not spring weather in my book and it’s April 14. When we had that beautiful spring weather last week, I did sneak out to the store and bought my first plant – it is currently living in my bedroom.

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This is a miniature Rhododendron and the bloom cluster is actually a little smaller than my thumb making the single bloom quite small.

As spring fully gets in gear, let the beauty of it bring you a smile. We are all living hidden in our homes soon this will pass. I am reminded in today’s devotion that while this may not be our final home, there are signs everywhere here of the beauty of that home. May you enjoy the beauty of spring and remember to always be kind, especially now where we are all just a little on edge.

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Kindness of Humanity

As a world population, we have a tendency to do our own thing according to how we see it works best for us. Wow – have we gotten a wake up call. The majority of the world is in some sort of lock down. The United States because of its size and the freedoms we believe in having, seems to be hit the worst because it took us longer to give up those freedoms and we are suffering for it. Currently 502,876 total cases according to one source. But that is not the purpose for this post.

The purpose is to honor the heroes. Yes, the big heroes are in the medical professionals, the police and fire fighters and our military who are doing everything they can to keep us safe and survive this nightmare.

But the next level down and less in the minds eye but no less important are the truck drivers and the grocery store personnel keeping us supplied in a mass of fear and panic hoarding people.

But I am still talking more about those who are less out of the minds eye, who are also going out of their way and possible personal safety to help others who are in even worse shape. In my mind, there is one major human feature that some other animals on the earth don’t seem to have or use often as humans do and that feature is kindness towards those less fortunate and stepping in to help when needed.

The hero stories like the paperboy who knew his customers were elderly that left a note in the papers he delivered that he would help them shop or do anything he could to help them. He now buys groceries for over 50 homes. They leave him money and a list and he shops for them leaving the groceries on the porch for them to pick up.

Or how about the couple who pasted hearts with notes on the windows of the nursing homes. Then the one that made the news of the lady that rented a scissors lift to wish her friend in a nursing a happy birthday then allowed other family members in that nursing home to use the lift to visit their family members.

The heroes of human kindness. These times are indeed rough for all of us. And its these stories that build us up in the hope of human kindness. My hope is that when this is done that we never never lose this much needed love and kindness for fellow man. Life is so much more than the busyness and ladder climbing we have made it to be. May this time help us to rediscover the truly important aspects on love and kindness.

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Thoughts for Macro Monday, SMM

Irene of Heaven’s Sunshine has a fun weekly prompt that I like to read and occasionally play in but today it is gray and rainy and we are supposed to stay in…so I give you a picture I didn’t take but the message is of hope from the Word and cyber hug from me.

Matthew 17:20 – I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Today is Monday, day 2 of Holy Week. On this day as Jesus was heading to Jerusalem he was hungry and saw a fig tree. The fig tree had not fruit, so Jesus told the tree to never bear fruit again of which the tree instantly died. His disciple were shocked but Jesus answer to them is what we all need for today.

Matthew 21:21-22 – “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask in prayer.

Twice, in a short amount of time, Jesus told us our faith could move mountains. So I remind you and challenge you to hold on to that faith as we go through these uncertain times. This curve of a mountain we are facing as a world population will soon flatten and we will be stronger for it as long as we do not lose faith. As we hang on to this faith, let us always remember to be kind.

After the storm, kindness remains. #kindness For the app of ...

We are in Deep in the Trenches…SOCS

It’s Saturday right? Its hard to keep up with the day, not because we are so busy because we are so unbusy. We are a creature of habit and routine and when those get flustered, we seem to get lost.

lost

Linda Hill has challenged us with posting something for Stream of Consciousness Saturday reflecting the word deep.

Well, I have deep thoughts for you today – some of you will agree with it, some you won’t, and that’s okay. Do I believe this global pandemic was caused by God – No way. Do I believe God is using this global pandemic to his advantage – you betcha. People who have long forgotten to pray because they have been to busy…well, now they are not so busy. And look at all the people who are praying in parking lots, lifting each other up on the internet, facebook and other social platforms.

They are praying in parking lots, praying on tops of medical buildings, lifting each other up across skyscrapers – the media is full of all of us coming together as one – in caring concern and prayer.

This issue is a wake-up call to remind us we don’t need all the stuff we think we need. We don’t need to be busy doing all the busy things that keep us occupied. We need to realize we need each other regardless of country as we are all in this together as one world, one consuming crisis. And to get through it together, we need to be in prayer. Prayer, if coming from your heart, can be the most powerful tool you could have.

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Again, this verse looks condemning like this happened because of our behaviors. Again, No. If you believe in God, then you understand we are all sinners and are all in need of healing – not just from this pandemic but from just being who we are. But right now, the entire globe needs healing from this virus and if we all dig down deep in our hearts and lift prayers above, He will hear them and Lord willing he will heal our lands.

And if you are not a praying person, then you can still help this situation by being kind. This is a scary time and we need a lot of kindness spread all around. Kindness at a distance is still kind. Be safe and be blessed.

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