Trust, Obey and Enjoy

My morning devotion spoke to me today and so I am sharing my thoughts with you. When God was first laying down the foundational rules in Exodus, he told the people he was a jealous God and to worship no other God’s but him.

moses

In today’s world, we often sugar coat the gentleness and kindness of God and forget his powerful being – the ultimate rule maker, the mighty Father. We don’t want to believe he will ever punish us, we don’t want him being something we fear because fear is a negative aspect. God is never negative, right? Do you read the same old testament that I read? How many people were killed by the command of God. Why would you worship a being that does that? Be cause he loves me! And people forget that and lose his love.

When Joshua first invaded Canaan, the first town on agenda for God was Jericho. Jericho, who many many generations ago, forgot who God was now going to be punished for forgetting. So God tells the people to walk around the walled city and then come back to camp. The people – the entire nation of Israel – just walking around the massively walled city. So let’s think about that a minute. You are an Israelite, and God says you will conquer the land. How is walking around the city conquering the land. I am sure there were some in that group that were think, “what? is this how we are conquering?” And I am sure the people of Jericho, who were originally shaking in their boots with fear hearing all the stories of the Red Sea parting and the destruction of the Egyptian army, were wondering “what is this, why are we scared of this?” Evidently none of them knew the song called Trust and Obey.

Then on the 7th day, the walls miraculously just fell down. Walls that had been standing as a fortress for hundreds of year…just fell. And all the people of Jericho, all the people, were killed. Trust and Obey, for there is no other way….

In Sarah Young’s devotional Jesus Calling for July 11, she reminded us that today’s false gods are out of the realm of religion. Those of us who are practicing the Christian religion have a tendency to get complacent, especially here in the US. And sometimes that complacency can turn us to worshiping other things than God. Oh, it was not our intention and there may not be a physical thing we have set up in our home we bow down to, but any thing that gets in the way of our worship of God can easily become an idle; our jobs, more money, and a big one is our TIME.

24 hours in a day x 7 days = 168 hours, 168 hours in a week x 52 weeks = 8736 hours, 52 Sundays x 1 hour = 52 hours. Not sure 52 hours out of 8736 hours show a good representation of loving our God. How many hours do you spend with your friends doing fun stuff. If you spend an average of 5 hours a week doing fun stuff that is 260 hours, you see where I am going here. God does not want you to not enjoy going and doing fun stuff. He created a lot of fun stuff for you to do. He just wants to go with you. He wants to be part of your everyday, to share your highs, not just coming when the moments are low.

So as you go about your day, everyday, ask Him to come along smile with him at the funny ‘coincidences’ that seem to happen and realize – “I know that was You God.” And as you smile with him, remember to be kind like him.

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All Have Their Purpose; 1LinerWed, FOTD

“And we know that all things work together for good”…Romans 8:28.

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Mother nature is a finely tuned system to balance all parts of creations for the full support of the whole system.

Linda Hill’s challenge of 1LinerWed and Cee’s challenge of Flower of the Day are both pulled together here to show the beauty of the sun, blue sky, a sunflower and a bee – all doing their part in the system of nature.

And as always, remember to be kind to all things, even when its hard or if you have to run…

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The Old Stone Door

Garden door

The Old Stone Door

This door seems too narrow, with no way to lock, a wedge pushing it always open.

The stone is so old with odd colored splotches, green moss growing all over it’s face.

This can’t be the way, no look at the door. It looks to small to be used as was spoken.

This is the garden, I know that for sure with tales of peace and beauty of this place.

But many remember a time of no peace, with shouts of anger and shedding of blood

With torches ablaze and sharp swords flying, an ear was taken, but now back as new

“Put away your sword”, he said firmly in love as they struggled standing in dark wet mud

Shall I not drink this cup the Father has given me? A cup allowing for of all things new!

Now, centuries later the garden lays quiet with forgotten memories of that time gone by

I walk through the beauty of flowers and trees and feel the reality this has had on me

Will I feel His love when I walk away from here, the beauty of flower and bright blue sky

Will I be able to use the love I feel, and bring it as proof, an everlasting love for all to see.

Anita Neal

There are times when fellow bloggers post a picture that is so inspiring that I ask permission to try to write a post worthy of its beauty. Today, Ken of tallulahbass created a post for Norm for the Thursday doors and posted this door. I thought it was a beautiful door and thought of the Garden of Gethsemane wondering what it would be like today to walk through that garden.

As we remember the everlasting love he has for us, let us remember to share that love with a loving smile, maybe a gentle touch for a hurting soul or a helping hand for those in need. And always remember to be Kind.

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Picture it…

Picture a favorite beach scene. You are sitting relaxed in the loose sand dunes just above the beach. The sun has warmed the sand and it tickles as it shifts through your toes. The sound of the turf is melodic as it pounds on the beach. The seagulls are calling each other as they slowly fly through the gentle breeze, that same breeze that brushes across your face. You inhale and you can almost taste the salt of the warm sea air that you are smelling.

Not big on the beach? Then picture the soft tranquility of a mountain stream. You are sitting on a felled tree that is now becoming a bench for anyone on the trail. The stream beside you is bubbling along the rocks as it heads though the forest to the nearest river. The clean air is as refreshing and clear as the water in the stream is cold to the taste. In front of you off in the distance are the mountains, maybe their tops are dusted with snow. The sweet smell of the evergreens is pungent and reminds you of Christmas. Over head a lone eagle floats with little movement as he soars of the updrafts.

Maybe you are not a nature lover? Maybe your enjoyment comes with an evening of dinner and beautiful music at an outdoor park. The smells of various foods wafting in the air mixed with warm summer night as the stars slowly begin to show their presence. Soft conversations with strangers around you creates friendships of similar interest. The orchestra or band is warming up their instruments for a night of expected pleasures.

Then picture this…..

black

You are sitting in a dark room.

There is no sound because you are deaf…

There is nothing to see because you are blind…

There is little to smell if anything because you have no reference to what smell is…

There is little to touch as your body has no sense of feel due to being paralyzed.

Senses…Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste & Touch…Gifts from God for us to enjoy His mighty creation. If all of your sense are working, praise God and enjoy these gifts. If you know those who are missing one or more of these senses, then share with them the beauty of what they don’t have so that through the senses that they do have working, they can get a glimpse of its beauty.

And remember as you enjoy your gifts, to share the joy that they bring you with others in hopes they may understand the beauty of it and share it themselves with others. And always remember to be kind. Kindness is enveloped in all of there gifts.

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Morning Silence, #SoCS

As the morning wakes today, the birds are chirping, sun is ever shining reminding us of the hope of survival. This morning’s reading came from Isaiah 41:13 says, For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear, I will help you.

That is so profoundly true as we watch and wait for the Mississippi to once again crest, hopefully for the last time at this stage for many years, currently at 21.54. But this morning is beautiful and as I sit and watch the birds fuss over the feeder, I am reminded of God’s care and love of them. Then I see the sun as it shines over my violets, their flowers shimmering like they are covered with tiny glitter.

And then I remember the history of this beautiful plant. I had bought three little violets to have in my office area when I was still working, you know, the $2.00 variety at Walmart. We were under florescence lights so they should do well. I worked in a manufacturing facility that make plastic buckets. The presses were on one side of the building and my office along with maintenance and the print shop were on the opposite side of the building, a building more long than wide. One day a hydraulic line ruptured from one of the presses just across from my no wall office shooting my side of the building with hydraulic fluid. Talk about a mess. And of course the three little violets were covered in oil, plants where the leaves should not get splash with water as it could cause them to spot and die. Now what. Well the thought was they are going to probably die but lets at least try to save them. So I gently washed them off and re-potted them in fresh soil and clean pots. I only lost one and you see how big they are today. This is proof of survival beyond visual odds with God’s loving hand.

So silently this plant reminds me every day, this too shall pass. So, grab God by the hand as he offers his love and strength and hang on. He will get you through. And as you are trudging through, remember others are trudging as well, although you may not realize it. We all trudge through life’s ups and downs. So remember to always be kind. Kindness reflect God’s love and hope for all.

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As Linda’s prompt for today’s SoCS of silence, I am reminded of the healing powers of silence. So come along and share your silent thoughts.

TGIF Silliness

Today is Friday and after the week I have have ’tis time for some silliness. So I have asked my friends here to join in on the relief.

“Does the mean I can come play…

“Sure come on and join in.”

“How about all of us…?” Image result for winnie the pooh picture

“Sure, everyone is welcome.”

“Cool. I like joining in on silliness. I will play music for us… amusicdog

“Well, that may not be necessary but OK.”

“I don’t know what you guys think is so great about Friday. We are still flooded for weeks. wet cat

“That’s true there big guy, but the sun is shining today and may shine again tomorrow. You have to look at the good with the bad sometimes, so come join in. Here have a towel. They are still warm.” Image result for picture of towel

“Thanks. How much water did you get?”

“Pulled over 100 gallons from my basement over the last 2 days. It finally quit coming in. And it may rain this weekend. But we are not going to think about it because…

cheers1 IT’S FRIDAY!!

Seems overrated…. cat2

And I don’t get it…. dog

“Dude, there is nothing to get. WE are choosing to be happy regardless of the hard week we have had…”

So anyone else who wants to join in on our silliness, stress relieving Thank Goodness Its Friday, come join along, the more the merrier. Just remember, it can’t always be the top of the mountain and it won’t always be the bottom of the valley…so smile, be happy and know that God always has a plan and that He is in total control. And as always…Remember to Be Kind.

321 Quote – Happiness is….

What a fun thing to quote on, regardless of your situation. Thank you Sadje of Keep It Alive for thinking of me. A good day to bring happiness quotes to the fore front.

321 Quote Me Created by A Guy Called Bloke and K9 Doodlepip!

Rory says;

Once a week, l will pick a random topic, post two quotes on that topic and nominate 3 bloggers, who in turn will post 2 quotes on the topic and nominate 3 bloggers of their own.

Guidelines: 3.2.1 Quote Me!

Thank the Selector

Post 2 quotes for the dedicated Topic of the Day.

Select 3 bloggers to take part in ‘3.2.1 Quote Me!’

Please Note Rory will be reblogging your responses unless you wish for me to NOT do so.

So Happiness is our theme for today’s quote. My quotes are:

happiness

Too many time we get confused on understanding what happy is. I promise it’s not the newest, greatest, fastest, most colorful item on the market that you just have to have to be happy.

Be like….

You know when you see someone smiling it makes you smile…just wondering what they are smiling about.

And for choosing bloggers who may or may not want to play, I chose ones who’s blogs inspire me the most as there blogs always make me smile.

Shelley of Quaint Revival

Irene of Heaven’s Sunshine

Margret of Margret’s Life Journey

And in closing as I always do, I remind my readers to remember to be kind and make someone happy.

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Creation of Art by God, Butterflies

Spring is a time when things wake up as the quiet sleep of winter is gets wiped from our eyes. The trees are waking up and spitting out new leaves, the flowers are rising up from the ground and animal wildlife is poking out its head to see what’s new. I love watching the birds and get excited when a new one I had not seen before visits my feeder.

IMG_20190501_185805_233 — Goldfinch, Downy Woodpecker, Cardinal

The beauty of God’s artwork in nature is amazing. But the most fascinating color work to me is the butterfly. I do not have a any around yet, but I hope to once it gets warmer and drys out a bit. But Irene reminded me this morning with her photo of a beautiful butterfly just how beautiful they are and I thought I would share Butterflywebsite.com pictures since I can not go outside today because again, it is raining. So I share these few pictures for you to enjoy, then go visit their site for others. Truly amazing creatures. They listed three specie/subspecie which I will share as these are the common ones we see. My favorite is the Swallowtails, Papilionidae, of which they have 11 varieties listed. I download two beauties.

These are the Black Swallowtail and the Orchid Swallowtail. The Black Swallowtail has always been a favorite of mine.

The next group are the Whites & Sulphers, Pieridae, of which they have 7 varieties shown.

The next group are the Lycaenidae, of which they list 3 subspecie, The Coppers which they have 4 varieties shown,

The Hair Streak has 3 varieties shown,

And then the last of the Lycaenidae group is the Blue, which there are 4 varieties shown.

And there are more exotic ones I am sure that I have not pictured but these should bring a smile to you if you are having a similar wet raining day or if not maybe you are just enjoying God’s handiwork. But did you know these creatures were also educated and know their ABCs and 0-9 numbers? Yes. They even have them imprinted on their wings. As scientist began studying butterflies they started noticing shapes in their coloration resembling letters and numbers and I have always thought that fascinating. God in his ultimate creative design combined with a sense of humor. I enclose the the collage below.

butterfly wings

Always remember to smile as nature smiles. If we look hard enough we can see that God is always there even when we think he forgot about us. Always remember to show the gentle, smiling, love God placed inside you to be brought out through kindness.

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Gardening Pitfalls – Too Much, Too Many

I do enjoy my gardening as it reflects the beauty of God’s many colors. But this year has been a real challenge. The temps throughout the winter were excessively harsh and planting time for spring has been delayed several weeks with cooler than average temps and excessive rain. I fell sorry for the farmers who got a jump start on planting only to be drowned with rain when the ground was already saturated from nearly 2 feet of cumulative snowmelt. Then other farmers who waited are just now getting a chance to plant due to saturated ground. While my flowers are trying their best…..

The waterlogged effects are beginning to take its toll with rotting plants and dying leaves.

Then there are in inevitable pest that you fight that dig in your plants looking for food or raid you feeders for the birds.

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At least the shortening greased pole keeps him out of the feeder itself. But last night I had a new visitor….ate half of my strawberry plant.

Now I wasn’t getting enough strawberries from one plant to really do a whole lot but still it’s not there to feed the deer…good grief. So I guess I am being a good subsidizer for extra tasty morsel for the animal kingdom. Not really what I had in mind. These are the pitfalls and joys of gardening but still we strive onward and try to smile.

Smiling even in the midst of disappointments is how we can keep afloat. Always remember the effects a smile can have on someone. That one smile may be the only smile that person sees that day, so smile often and let the kindness of that smile spread all about you as you go through you day.

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Smiling… and Laughter

As you go day to day do you think about the things that make you smile? When heading to work today, I passed a car that had two dogs in the back seat and both of them had their heads out the window, tongues flapping in the breeze. Dogs are so funny. I know that if Mimi gets loose which has happened a couple of times, if I go after her in the car and open the door for her, she will jump right in. The only time she has ever been in the car is when we go to the vet. Does she love going to the vet? Don’t think so, she just likes riding in the car. Her silliness always makes me smile.

IMG_20190524_183923 — On guard for anything that may be on the sidewalk

Other things that make me smile is my flowers. They bring in that beauty of creation and they seem to smile when the sun splashes in their face.

Then there is the bulb that bloomed again this spring, the angel holding a flower pot …or the birds helping to grow sunflowers.

All of these make me smile…but what makes us laugh. Why does watching someone slip, knowing they didn’t get hurt, make us laugh. Or a clown throwing a pie at someone else can make us laugh. Silliness. I have seen women get so tickled and laugh so hard they are making no sound what so ever, just tears. I want to stop them and remind them to breathe. Too funny. Laughing people make us laugh. And how about the most precious laugh that there is…a babies laugh. I don’t know too much else as sweet. About a week ago my daughter and I went out to eat and while we were there a family with a grammar school age child and a baby were eating about 3 table over from us. The older child got the baby laughing and the baby was so tickled it got that end of the restaurant snickering and giggling. It was marvelous to have so many strangers all laughing at the same time without understand what the baby thought was funny. We took that joy with us as we left. Laughter a true release of joy.

In Genesis, Abraham and Sarah both laughed at the Lord. Not something I would recommend doing but know the circumstances, I can understand. Sarah was 90 and Abraham was 100 and the Lord told them she was going to have a child. Wow. And when the child was born they named him Issac, which means ‘he who laughs’.

So I remind you to store up for yourselves the smiles of life and the joys of laughter and share them with others in kindness. Kindness shared with smiles can create laughter so smile often and be kind.

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