How Do I Know God's Plan for Me?

 

And Mary said. Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. Luke 1:38a

From the time we are old enough to play fireman and baby dolls, we are asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” That’s really the wrong question.

Mary was unique in that she was to become the mother of our Lord. That was God’s plan for Mary. Actually, God has a unique plan for each of us. Mary is the example of the type of person we want to be. She has some qualities about her that allowed her to be strong and go through tough times to fulfill God’s plan for her life. It wasn’t the pretty Christmas picture of Mary and Joseph and the babe sweetly lying in a manger with halos all around. Mary’s first priority was to be the handmaid, the servant, of the Lord. That should our first priority as well.

What qualities did Mary possess that helped her follow God’s plan?

• She demonstrated by her purity and her righteousness that she wanted to love and serve God.
• She demonstrated a desire to live with a divine purpose. Malachi 2:15 would have been a familiar verse to her . . . That he might seek a godly seed. . . . She saw her purpose as raising up children to the Lord.
• She demonstrated that she put the Lord above everything and everyone else because she risked family, friends and fiancé to be the mother of God’s Son.  

We all have our ideas about what we want to be; a fireman, a policeman, a teacher, a nurse, etc. but the real question is, “What is God’s unique plan for our lives?” If we, like Mary, possess these qualities we will know God’s plan; not necessarily by an angel’s appearance, but by God’s direction through His Word.

Want you let us know how God is showing you His unique plan for your life?

I am currently reading The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs. Her book is the inspiration,along with a little plagerism, for today’s blog. Hope you get a chance to read it as well for more insight into God’s unique plan for each of us.

Snowflakes Are On The Way

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalms 139:14

I LOVE SNOW!! Even though I live where it only snows a little, it’s enough to keep everyone on their toes all winter long, watching the clouds, sniffing the air, feeling the deep chill, trying to remember how many fogs there were in August and what color the wooly worms were. Y’all don’t do that where you live? Oh, I’m sorry. All that adds to the fun of creating a few paper flakes to hang in the window while we’re watching and wishing. If you need help making snowflakes just google the word snowflake and you can get lots of ideas. I found an out of print book called Zoo Flakes ABC by Will Howell. It shows how to make animals snowflakes – cool book. The point being there are a zillion ways to make a snowflake. By the way there are more than a zillion real snowflake shapes.

Snowflakes can be flat or 3D. They generally have 6 sides but no two are ever alike. God put a lot of effort into making something so tiny and intricate. We can’t even see the details with just our eyes. Before microscopes and cameras no one probably even knew the details of just one tiny snowflake. But God knew. He cared. He wanted to show everyone and anyone how much He cares about His creation. If he cares so much that He takes time to make every little snowflake different, just think how special we are to Him. He created every person different. Even identical twins are not exactly the same. And it’s more than just our looks. Out personalities and talents are different. God made each of us unique with a special job to do. He cares what happens to us. He sent His only Son to die for us so that we could be forgiven our sins and spend eternity with Him. Snowflakes melt, but we are His unique creation with an eternal soul. How much more special God has created you and me! We are the epitome of  all His creation.

Make a few snowflakes for your windows this week. While you’re at it you might want to thank the Lord for making you special. Why not ask Him what plans He has for your unique talents. Then keep an open ear and eye to God’s direction.

Please share your window of snowflakes with us.

Blessings

What Are You Expecting?

And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Luke 1:11

Made your Christmas list? Checked it twice? Left anyone out? Hmm . . . .

Some of us wait until Christmas Eve to shop. Some make presents from July to Christmas. Others shop a little here and little there all year long. I’ve done a little of it all. Zacharias got an unexpected gift a little over a year before that first Christmas. Unexpected is actually putting it mildly. He and his wife Elizabeth were childless and they were both way past their childbearing years. Zacharias did not expect anything out of the ordinary to happen that day at church – er, I mean temple He was going about his expected routine serving in the temple when suddenly the angel Gabriel appeared to tell him they would have a child.  Sure it scared him, but he was still in the natural, normal frame of mind, thinking, “How can this happen?” He even tried to explain to the angel that he and Elizabeth were to old to be having a baby.

How about it? Who’s on your Christmas list? What are you expecting this Christmas? Are you looking for the unexpected to happen in your life? Are there family and friends who need to be saved? Are there families that need to be restored? Are there children who need to return to the Lord? Is Jesus trying to tell us that with Him all things are possible. Be still and know this Christmas that He is God.

Look for the incredible in Christmas and give God the glory.

The Tree of Christmas

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isaiah 11:1

There is a little bug in many of the classrooms today. It’s called an EETCHY worm. It’s made of colored beads and it helps kids organize their thoughts to tell a story. I want to use an EETCHY worm today to help us tell about a Christmas tree.

• The first bead of the worm is green to remind us what group we are talking about.

Our group is Christmas Tree

• The second bead is blue to ask us what does it do. A Christmas Tree represents the various meanings associated with Christmas.
• The second bead is yellow with an eye on it. This asks us what does it look like.

A Christmas Tree looks like a tree covered with red, gold, blue and white balls, stars, angels, ribbons, and bells.

• The next bead is brown to ask what is it made of. A Christmas tree is made of wood.
• The next bead is pink to ask what are its parts. A Christmas tree has a trunk, branches, and evergreen needles.
• Then there is a white bead to ask where is it? A Christmas tree is placed inside or outside of a home where everyone can see its beauty.
• The last bead is orange and asks what else do you know. By now most of us have a pretty good picture of a Christmas tree in our minds and our answer to the question what else do you know may be, “That’s all.” Or that there are presents under the tree. But that’s not all!

Let’s go back and examine what we said about the tree. The blue said is represents the various meanings associated with Christmas. What meanings? In the yellow we answered red balls; red is the color of blood. Christ shed His blood on a cross made of wood. The tree is made of wood. We also said gold balls. The wisemen brought Jesus gold and frankincense and myrrh. Blue balls are the color of royalty. Jesus is King of Kings. White balls are the color of purity. Jesus was without sin. Wisemen followed a star. Angels announced His birth. Ribbons held the breastplate to ephod on the robe of the high priest. Bells were sown around the hem of his robe so all could here him as he preformed his priestly duties. Jesus is our High Priest.  The evergreen needles tell us that Jesus gives us eternal life. The trunk and the branches lead us back to our scripture: And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

We display our Christmas trees where all can see their beauty. So should Jesus be displayed in our lives that all can see His beauty. We want to come to the tree and receive the gifts. May all the world come to Jesus this Christmas and receive His gift of salvation. May there be Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.

What else? Won’t you tell us the what else that God is doing in your life?

Blessings

The Feast of Dedication

 

www.bhg.com/houses

And it was at Jerusalem the feast of dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. John 10:22,23

It’s that time of year. Cookies, gingerbread houses and decorations galore. As I tried to copy the picture of a winter gingerbread village in a jar, I wondered what winter was like for Jesus. There were no Christmas trees, no holiday cookies, no . . . . But wait, there was the Feast of Dedication – Hanukah! Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch! He saw the city all covered with snow. There may have been holiday cookies, and gifts. There was a menorah burning in the temple by the alter of incense. Jesus may have been thinking about the lights of the temple and the miracle God had preformed. Hanukah celebrated the fact that God caused the temple lamps to burn 8 days on 1 day’s oil.

Today, we are in the midst of the Hanukah/Christmas season. Though the world tries to put out the true meanings of Hanukah and Christmas, we must keep the light within our hearts shining, demonstrating God’s love to the world. Whether we read Isaiah 53 or John 3:16 the message is still the same. It is our job to let the world know God sent His only Son to be the sacrifice for our sins. May we dedicate our lives to the Messiah. May we let our light shine before others to glorify our Father which is in heaven. 

I put the finishing touch on my gingerbread village tonight. I think I may tie a ribbon with the verse on it to remind me of the city of Jerusalem Jesus saw that winter. To remind me to keep my light shining to glorify the Father.  How are you keeping the Messiah in the Season this year?

The Thanksgiving Miracle

O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Psalms 105:1

You know that picture in our minds we all get of the Indian brave who walks into the Pilgrim village in the spring of 1621 to show the Pilgrims how to plant corn? Wasn’t his name Squanto? Or didn’t any one ever tell you about Squanto?

This Thanksgiving tale of the Indian who greeted the Pilgrims with an English “Welcome” and then taught them to plant corn and fish, always seemed to me to be just that – a tale, until I learned how God had brought it all about. A slave ship sailing along a shore, kidnapping young boys and taking them back to Spain. An entire tribe wiped out by disease. A lone man returning from Europe to find no one left. There’s far more to the truth than meets the eye here. God is always taking the evil man devises and turning it into good for those that love him.

In the Bible Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. They thought he probably died in Egypt until they went there to buy food. Who should they find to provide for them, but their own brother, in control of all the food of Egypt. Joseph’s brothers meant it for evil against Joseph, but God had used it for good.

In the same manner, the slave traders of Europe had meant it for evil against the Indians but God used it for good for the people who came seeking to worship him in a new land.

What can you find out about the first Thanksgiving? About Squanto? What can you tell this Thanksgiving about God’s goodness to you and to God’s people? Won’t you share God’s blessings with us, so that we too might rejoice with you in God’s blessings.

squanto 

A Thanks Giving Tree

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. Genesis 22:18

Thanksgiving – it’s right around the corner. Have you considered the things that you are thankful for? I’ve seen several Thanks Giving Tree. Basically, they are twigs or drawings with paper leaves attached. People write or draw something on a leaf every day and attach it to the tree. It’s a simple reminder of how blessed we all are.

Have you considered your greatest blessing and where it came from? Salvation would have to be one of the first leaves on my tree. God freely sent His Son to die for my sins so I can spend eternity with Him. But someone at some point in time had to be willing to be responsible for the family into which Jesus would be born. Abraham was that man. God wanted to see if Abraham was willing to give his son, Isaac, back to God as a sacrifice. God stopped Abraham just in the nick of time. Because Abraham obeyed God’s voice, he received a promise that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through his family. Wow! What a promise to know that somewhere down the line God’s Son would be born into Abraham’s family. Abraham believed God and obeyed God in all He asked.

I’m just wondering what blessings we would receive if we believed and obeyed whatever God asked of us. Would school be a better place? Would there be peace in our families? What would our nation look like if we Christians obeyed God? Is there hope for the lost? Abraham could have thought all hope was lost when he had no child. Yet he continued to believe God and when he was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 they had a child, their only son that God asked Abraham to sacrifice. God blessed Abraham with family because family is the only thing that lasts.

Why not begin a Thanks Giving Tree today. Then let us know how God has blessed you. 

Hide and Seek in Plain View

But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

Have you ever played hide and seek in the dark? It can be a lot of fun until you run over a birdbath or a lawn chair or whatever and go stumbling and tumbling into the hedges and ponds. We know we are looking for someone but we can’t see the obstacles in our path if we play in the dark.

We all live our lives in the dark spiritually until we understand what we are seeking after. We look for things to satisfy us. We look for people we think will satisfy us. We look for jobs that pay lots of money in hopes of finding the price that will satisfy. Hopefully, we realize that what we are looking for is actually God, who has been waiting for us all along.

Deuteronomy tells us that if we start right now and seek the Lord, we will find him. We must seek him with all our hearts and with all our souls. He is not hiding, but he is waiting in plain sight. We can’t let the things of this world or family or friends keep us from seeking God. We must put first things first. Matthew tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto us. What things? All the things we put before God, the obstacles that keep us from finding the God our hearts desire. God wants to provide us with all the necessary things, but they should never be the object of our desires. God should and must come first.

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near; Isaiah 55:6

What obstacles stand in your way? From this moment on, seek the Lord thy God. Won’t you let us know how you found Jesus?

November's Seven Sisters

Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name: Amos 5:8

Have you ever lain out under the night sky and gazed up at the stars? One of the constellations that can be seen from dusk until dawn in November is Pleiades, the Seven Sisters. They are up from Orion’s belt, past Taurus, the bull. They look like a small misty dipper. Did you notice Orion was mentioned in the verse from Amos? Have you made the connection that the seven stars are Pleiades? Hmmm. Seven stars, seems that reminds me of another verse. Revelation 1:20 says the seven churches have 7 angels, which the Bible calls stars. Pleiades is held together by gravitation. These 7 stars are the only ones in the constellation that are easily visible with the eye. There are actually many other stars in the constellation. Revelation 1:16 says Jesus is seen holding 7 stars in His right hand. Amazing. What could hold churches together more than the right hand of Jesus? You know there are actually many more churches than the 7 churches of Revelation. We are all held together by the blood of Jesus. We are in His right hand whether we are in America, Africa or Afghanistan, Jesus is the power that saves us and binds us together. Jesus gave us a Great Commission to preach the gospel to the whole world. The gospel is the water of life. Here again, as I look at the small misty dipper of the Seven Sisters, I think, what is a dipper good for but to give water to thirsty people.  What great reminders our Creator, Jesus, has given us through the night sky? Amos reminds us to seek Him. The Lord is his name.

November is a great month for star gazing. The nights are cool and crisp with clear skies. Try finding a spot away from as many street lights as possible. www.earthsky.org is a great site for help in finding constellations but I recommend an adult help you. It contains good information but it is not a Christian site.

Won’t you share your thoughts about the constellations you find?

Blessings,

Gail

Treasures in a Hope Chest

For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21

I love finding a bargain. I was shopping for slacks and ran up on tea towels, CHEAP, for my girls to embroidery. That’s not a skill they know, so this was the perfect item for our next meeting. The towels were the cutest little cupcake design with a few simple stitches and one a little more complicated, a French knot. This would be a life skill and a treasure they could keep for years to come. The towels would be a perfect item for their Hope Chests, if they know what a Hope Chest is! Ha! 

Learning to embroidery takes a little patience and a little practice. You stick your tongue out and concentrate and stick your finger. You make mistakes and have to go back and fix them. But in the end you have a pretty good piece if you took a little pride in your work. Being a Christian is a lot like that. It takes time to study and pray and learn from others. We make mistakes and have to ask forgiveness. But in due time we begin to see fruit from our labor. We begin to see people saved and living their lives for God.

In Matthew, Jesus tells us not to worry about storing up treasures on earth that won’t last and that thieves steal. Jesus wants us to lay up treasures in heaven that will last eternally. Treasure no one can take away. It is so good to know our family and friends will be with us in heaven forever because we took a little time and patience to show them Jesus through our lives as well as the things we said. Embroidery makes a little picture that will last a little while. Our lives make pictures that last forever. Laying up treasure in heaven through our witness is like a little Hope Chest of souls that we will one day get to open and enjoy with Jesus.   

S.O.A.P.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. II Timothy 3:16,17

Have you ever watched someone make soap or listened as the old folks told about soap making?

“You take the ashes from the hearth and run water through them. That makes the lye. Then you take the fat from the hog that you kill and render the lard. Mix the lard and lye water together and stir til she’s thick. Pour it up in the wood molds and let it cure.”

 That would be the explanation most of our foremothers would give.

Soap making is a relatively new invention given to us from the Romans, but God has been using soap on us since the first animal sacrifices. Alters had to have ashes removed. The ashes already contained the animal fat. The one who cleaned the ashes already had the components of soap. All he needed to do was wash. The blood sacrifices were a picture of Jesus sacrifice for us. We are in need of spiritual cleansing from our sins. All we need is to do is ask Jesus to forgive us and cleanse us, to make our hearts brand new.

Just like we need a regular bath, we also need to make sure we keep our hearts clean. I John says 1:9,10 says: If we say that we have no sin. We deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

A friend introduced me to a Bible study method called S.O.A.P. It’s an acrostic for

Scripture

Observation

Application

Prayer

Read a chapter and write down the verse that seems to jump out.

Write down what you observe about the passage

Write how it applies to you.

Pray and ask God to help you apply this truth to your life.

Thought the video might be helpful.

click here

Courageous



Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: I Peter 5:8

Have you ever been to a reenactment? The first weekend in October at Walnut Grove Plantation there is a reenactment of a battle in which Bloody Bill Cunningham was killed. He had massacred many patriots just weeks before. No one seemed to know he was near Walnut Grove. The children were playing in the yard when the alarm sounded that the British were coming. People ran to get the children to safety. British stormed the house where a patriot was being treated. Militia filled the yard along with British soldiers and a battle ensued.

What if no one warned the children? What would the enemy have done to them? The enemy walks about even now seeking whom he may devour. Our enemy is not the British, but Satan himself. He will devour our children, our homes and our country if we are not vigilant in watching and training children to watch as well. They innocently play while Satan uses every means available to reach into their hearts and minds to destroy. Do we have trouble finding something to watch? Is shopping for clothes easy? Do we have to be mindful of the radio stations?

The patriots didn’t just rush in and shoo the children to safety. They stood their ground and fought against the invaders. They didn’t just rush in untrained. There were sessions to drill the men in resisting the enemy. The children and wives were at the training drills as well. It was almost a social day. Everyone watched. Little ones played at militia games. Have we trained ourselves in God’s Word to stand against the Devil? Are we training our little ones? Do we rush our little ones to safety and stand our ground in defense of our families and our country? As one of the men in the film “Courageous” says, “Where are we men of courage?” And might I add, “Where are we women of courage?”  

How can we be more effective in standing our ground in defense of our families? Leave us a message with your ideas.   

Blessings!!

I’m a Loser

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Matthew 7:7,8

I lose my notes. I lose my keys. I drop things in the sofa and in the carpet. Little items drop on the floor then roll and bounce who knows where. In my hurried life I lay things down instead of putting them in place. I find good hiding places for a little stash of cash.  I admit it. I’m a loser.

Just the other day I was searching for some notes to help with a project I was working on. I searched at home. I searched at school. Then as usual after all the searching, I began to pray. My friend looked it up on line and found just what I needed.

I was at a family member’s house. She was frantically searching her car for keys. She called her husband at “the shop”. He frantically searched his car. In my heart, I began to pray. Her husband’s friend, who had helped them with a moving project that involved the key, pulled into the shop.

“Hey, Buddy, do you have a set of keys to that storage unit?”

“Maybe, I wondered what these keys were for.”  Problem solved. But how amazing that he would pull into the shop at just that specific time and have just what they were looking for. Frantically the world is looking for answers to their problems. We can’t cure cancer, fix the stock market or the government, but we do have the key to the world’s biggest problem. We know where to find peace and eternal life. As Christians we have the answer. God is putting us at the right place at the right time every day. Are we praying for guidance in reaching those who are searching? Are we showing the world the key? Are we showing them by our actions as well as our words that Jesus Christ is the answer?

Share Jesus today. Someone is frantically looking.

Dead or Alive

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? II Corinthians 6:14

Take a magnifying glass and examine a starfish. Feel its rough texture. Notice the small star-shape on the very top. Now turn it over. See the mouth in the center? Tentacles run down the length of each arm or ray. On the tip of each arm there are light sensors so the starfish can tell if it is light or dark. I doubt if we can actually see the light sensors in its hardened state. Just think, once this beautiful starfish was soft and pliable. It had no bones and pulled itself along over rocks and shells and anywhere it wanted to go. It wrapped itself around tightly closed shells and with strong arms pulled the shells apart for tasty morsels of clams and mussels and other shellfish. Now it lies motionless on the beach or in a shell arrangement. Its strength is gone, its light sensors put out. Its part in the food chain of life is finished.

There was once a man whose strength was renowned. He pulled down the gate of a walled city. He killed a lion with his bare hands. He knew the Light of the World but he played in the edges of darkness. Playing on the edge of darkness caused Samson his strength and his sight. It cost him his ability to do great and mighty things for God. Samson was used to pull a mill. He was taken into a temple of a false god. He spread his feet and arms like the starfish and bowed his head. With a mighty prayer he pulled down the columns of that temple and destroyed more of the enemies of God in his death than he had in his life. How much more could Samson have accomplished for God had he not entangled himself with friends who did not know God?

How often do we entangle ourselves with the things of this world? We choose friends that we think will make us popular but we fail to befriend those who would strengthen our spirit.  We busy ourselves with technology but forget to look into God’s Word. Our eyes are put out to the Truth. We play on the edge of darkness with the friends we choose and the things we allow in our minds through our eyes. Will we one day find ourselves hardened by the darkness, unable to affect the spiritual lives of the lost because we have lost our own spiritual lives?

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. II Corinthians 6:1

Taste Test

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalms 34:8

What’s your favorite food? Chocolate? Ice cream? A crisp apple filled with so much juice it runs down your elbow with every bite? MMMMmmmmm! It all sounds good to me. Let me go rummage around in the kitchen and see what looks good. No, Wait! I’m suppose to be writing!

Too often I find myself hunting a favorite food for comfort when I’m tired or sad. I need a snack while I’m concentrating or just looking to relax. I forget that God’s Word says “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” How can I taste and see the goodness of the Lord?

God knows us better than we know ourselves. He created us. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He filled His Word with all the good things we need.

So, what good things does God’s word have for me today? You might find it helpful to underline or highlight verses that God uses to show you how good He is.

 I have a test. II Timothy 2:15

I need a job. Matt. 6:36

I’m worried about a bully. Psalms 37

I don’t know what to do with my life, how to prepare, what college. Psalms 25:4

I just had a fight with my BFF. Psalms 37:8

I have a sick family member. What if they die? John 10:27-29

Just like tasting your favorite food, you have to dig into God’s Word to know it’s good. Eating is always more fun with others. Try finding a friend to taste test the Word with you.

Found a favorite God food (verse)? We’d love to take a taste with you. Please leave a taste in the comment section.

Apple Time

…Behold, a sower went out to sow. Matthew 13:3b

It’s time to visit the apple orchards. Time to debate the taste of the best apples and cider. Time to make apple butter and apple jelly. Time to eat a fresh picked apple and tell the tales of Johnny Appleseed sowing seeds across America.

 But have you taken time to look a little deeper? Slice an apple across the center. Count the seeds in the star. Plant a few seeds. Maybe you’ll get your own apple tree. Just wondering, how many apples do you think might come from one seed?

Jesus told a parable of a farmer who went out to sow his seeds. Some fell on hard ground and never came up. Others fell on stony ground and thorny ground. They survived a little while and then died. But the seeds that fell on good ground produced lots, some 30 times, some 60 times, some 100 times more than was sown.

Telling others about Jesus is much like planting seeds. You never know what the witness you give today may one day produce. An apple tree takes years to produce but then it produces for many years. Are there generations of Christians in your family? Who planted the seed in your heart?

 Anyone can count the seeds in an apple but only God can count the apples in a seed.

- Robert Shuller.

 

Looks Good

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one who saith to me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Farther which is in heaven.  Matthew 7:20,21

The kids and I were so excited when we found round squishy eggs in the dirt of our potato patch. They were about the size of a quarter. From all accounts, they looked like land turtle eggs. We kept a watch all summer. We waited for a full moon. We reasoned that sea turtles hatch on the full moon surely land turtles did the same. We searched the internet for more information.

Nothing seemed to be hatching. After school started I decided to take a few to class to put in the terrarium just to peak some interest. I placed some soil in a plastic carton, then nestled in the eggs that were left. Odd some of the eggs that were deep in the soil were gone. I added water to make sure they were hydrated in case some turtles were still incubating and placed them in the floor board of the car. I didn’t want to forget them the next morning.

Ah, the next morning a little nose was poking through a shell. I was thrilled. I placed the eggs still in their carton on the soil in the terrarium and called the children to come and see. We invited the other class to view the hatching of our turtle egg. As the day passed the turtle pulled its nose further back into the shell. I figured he had had enough of school for the day.

Next morning, I anxiously arrived at school, hoping the turtle had made its entrance into the world. Two other eggs were hatching! To my surprise my turtle had hatched without a shell and it had a really long tail! I didn’t have turtles! I had corn snakes! I didn’t need snakes of any description in a class of small children. Call the principal, now! Thankfully he disposed of them for me.

I thought, wasn’t that a deception? For months I treated the eggs as if they were turtles.  My eggs looked good on the outside but on the inside, well you know – snakes! Jesus knew that all along. He made the turtles and the snakes. He also knows about people. He told the Pharisees they were like painted sepulchers. They looked good on the outside but on the inside they were full of dead men’s bones. Jesus knows us too. We live in a day of deception. It may be hard for you and me to tell if someone is really a Christian or just putting on a good front, but Jesus knows. He tells us to look at the fruit. If a person is truly a Christian they will act like a Christian. Don’t be deceived by those who tell you it is wrong to judge. Be a fruit inspector. You may help someone become a true Christian.

What experiences have you had with “fruit inspection”? We would love to have your comments.

Blessing

Dirty Feet

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalms 51:10

Wet grass all over my feet and sandals! How can I go inside the church like this? I’ll track this mess everywhere. I had walked up with a friend from the Sunday School classes through freshly mown dew covered grass. Her shoes were a mess too. Actually she was the one who noticed our problem. One of the men saw our dilemma and brought us paper towels to clean our shoes and feet. It was embarrassing leaning against the building and wiping my feet but it was better than messing up the foyer and aisles.

Jesus took a towel and washed the feet of his disciples. Peter didn’t want his Lord to perform such a lowly task for him. Peter wanted to serve Jesus, not have Jesus serve him. What Peter didn’t understand was that Jesus was the greatest of servants. He not only served, He sacrificed himself for Peter and for us. Later in the same chapter Jesus tried to explain the symbolism of what he was doing. We walk through this world every day and pick up “dirt” from the world. Not the dust of the ground but the bad things of this world, the attitude, the language, the selfishness, etc. Jesus wants us spiritually clean. He washed the disciples’ feet as an example to serve our fellow Christians by watching out for each other and helping each other keep our lives clean.

In the days of the tabernacle, the priest had to wash at a laver before going into the tabernacle. They first passed by the burnt offering, then washed hands and feet before entering the tabernacle to offer the incense. The incense of prayers needed to be offered by spiritually clean priest. Priest still covered with blood and ashes from the burnt offering would not symbolize spiritual cleanness.

How often do I rush to God with my desires without stopping to ask for the cleansing of His forgiveness? I want my prayers to have a sweet savor to God.

Dear Lord, thank you for a friend who noticed the dirt on our feet. Help me Lord to notice the dirt on my heart. Create in me a clean heart; and renew a right spirit within me. In Jesus name. Amen.

God Loves a Copy Cat

 

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has sent me. John 17: 21

He pulled an old green sheet over and shoved it up under his bike. He put his goggles on and picked up the drill. Turning himself around backwards he sat down on the sheet and laid back under the bike. Then the real work began. How cute is that, I thought. He has watched his Papa work on cars enough to know just what to do. Apparently his sister is learning as well.

God, our Father, wants us to learn what to do by copying His Son, Jesus. Jesus prayed for us in John 17 for us to be one with Christ as Christ is one with the Father and the Father one with the Son. We can’t go watch Jesus as the first disciples did but, we can read the Word He left us. We can learn the care, the love, and the sacrifice that Jesus gave to us. He wants us to follow him so closely that the world will know that the Father sent Jesus to be our sacrifice. That’s what millions of Christians have done since Jesus ascended back to the Father. They have been his witness in word and in deed so that you and I know what Jesus did for us. We don’t usually like a copy cat but God loves it when we copy His Son. Won’t you be God’s Copy Cat that the world may know?

What have you discovered by being a copy cat of God? Leave us a message so we all may be one in the Father.

Building on a Rock

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spririt. Ephesians 2:20, 21, 22.

Have you ever used blocks or bricks or stones to build a house? Playing, we usually build towers that fall pretty quickly. But if we build a corner first, then lay the rest of the house or tower, it will stand.  We also need to overlalp the breaks between the blocks.  Try making a wall without over lapping the breaks of the rectangles or squares. The wall comes down quickly.  Try making the wall overlapping the breaks like a brick mason . Take a look at a house that has bricks in the foundation or walls. Do you see the overlaps? The house is strong becasuse it has a corner stone or brick. It can stand very tall because the bricks or stones  are overlapped in the breaks.

This is exactly what Paul was trying to tell the Ephesians. Our lives must be built on Jesus Christ. He is our foundation. Without him our lives will fall. We may turn over a new leaf but it won’t last long unless Jesus has become our Rock, our cornerstone, our foundation. To be strong in the Lord there needs to be that overlapping of the “bricks” in our lives. The bricks that build us into strong Christians are the reading of God’s Word, and the studying of God’s Word with others, and putting those things we learn into action. We as Christians working together are the place, the habitat, of God’s Spirit. Wow! God’s spirit lives within us if we have been born again. We can do great things together with God’s direction.

We would love to share your experiences in God’s Word. Together we can go into all the world and preach the gospel. Use the comment space to share. On the day of Pentecost 3000 souls were added to the church because the Christians shared the gospel.

Blessings. Gail

Caught any tadpoles lately?

Sing - along  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4KVwX44Z9A

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Cor. 5:17

I love camping. I love to watch the lightning bugs and listen to the night sounds of crickets and frogs. Speaking of frogs, have you ever thought about the change that takes place in their lives? First the mother frog lays the eggs in the water. They look like little balls of jelly. Then they hatch into tadpoles. They have frilly gills and breathe water like a fish. Then as they begin to grow their legs begin to appear. Their tails begin to disappear. But what you can’t see is their lungs are beginning to form. There is a bigger change on the inside than on the outside. When the frog is fully developed, he can swim in the water but he can no longer live in the water. He must come up for air. He must get his food outside the water. He is a new creature, a land creature. He will never be a water creature again. His old life has passed away.

How about people? We need a change too, a change that will make us new creatures. When we first begin our lives, we are sinners. We live our lives our way. We make wrong choices. We are in need of a change. Then, when we realize that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross, we make another choice. We either choose to continue to live as we always have and die in our sins or we choose to give our lives to Jesus, repenting of our sins. Our family and friends will notice some changes in the way we live our lives but the biggest change is on the inside where no one can see but God. He doesn’t give us new lungs like the frog. He gives us a new heart, a heart that will love Him and serve Him the rest of our lives. We can never be our old selves again. We are new creatures in Christ!

Why not catch a few tadpoles this summer and place them in pond water to watch them grow and change. Be sure to take them back to a pond once they become frogs.

Also why not let us know how Jesus has made a new creature out of you. What changes have you noticed in yourself since Jesus made a change in you.

Blessing, Gail

Sing

Catch the Vision



Picture couertesy of Free Christ Images



Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18

This week we spent a few days camping in the Great Smokey Mountains at Cades Cove. It’s a very different place where no one and nothing feel afraid. Little sparrows literally hopped around our feet collecting the crumbs we dropped from the picnic table. A deer grazed at the side of the ranger station. People walked by. Cars passed. Nothing caused the deer to startle. Butterflies landed on children’s fingers. And I wondered, why can’t life be this peaceable every day? Then I remembered there will be a time when life is peaceable. God tells us in Isaiah 11 that there will be a peaceable kingdom on earth, a time when animals and children play together without harm. We got a small vision of that time for a few days this past week. How nice it will be to see that and feel the peace every day.

But what is the key to peace on earth? Isaiah 11:9 holds that key. There will be a time when “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Jesus gave us a command just before he sparrowleft. In Matthew 28:19,20 He told us, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

How can I go into all the world; we might ask. Just by starting where we are with our family, with our friends, our neighbors, or even on this site. The internet reaches into all the world, even to closed countries where missionaries can’t go.

What do I say; we might ask. All we need to do is tell someone how Jesus changed our lives. Tell someone how Jesus died for you. When you see a butterfly, tell how that butterfly is a new creature, totally changed from a caterpillar. When you hear a bullfrog croaking, tell someone how that frog is totally changed from a tadpole. We can show someone by our actions and our words that Jesus has totally changed us. Let me be the first. I was 15 years old when the Holy Spirit began to nudge my heart that I was a sinner. He made me begin to realize that if I died, I would not be in heaven. At a campmeeting on a hot summer night, I went to an alter and asked forgiveness of my sins. I asked Jesus to save me. He changed my life that night. I am not perfect but I am a very different person now who loves that Lord and seeks to keep His commands. He has given me a vision for my future.

Tell someone in person, in a letter, on the phone, or join a discussion on this site so the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord.

In a Flash!

 

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. II Peter 3:9,10

Wow! What a storm we had the other night! At first it seemed like a normal summer storm and it was, but not for us. As we sat at the supper table there was a huge ball of light in our back yard. The lights went off, then came back on, sort of. Six light bulbs were blown, three above our heads, 2 in the kitchen and 1 in the living room. Oh, but that’s not all. The phones were dead. The modem was blown on the internet. The mouse was blown. The ground fault receptacle was dead. And the air conditioner was blowing heat and would not cut off! An A/C repairman thought the lightning may have melted some elements together! When we went out side we noticed mud splattered on top of a car under a carport shed. How odd, until we noticed the other signs; a hole the size of a cantaloupe near the car, another hole under the wheel of a flower stand. The ground was ripped up and roots de-barked and more mud slung on a patio. What in the world? The spot where the lightning had struck! None of our neighbors had been affected and thankfully we were all safe but the things of this world had melted and burned up in a flash.

In Matthew, chapter 24, Jesus tells his disciples that the coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning coming out of the east and shining to the west. The storm the other night helped me picture the unexpectedness of His coming. It also helped me understand that it is very visible. All our neighbors for miles saw and heard the storm but, compared to the number of people who saw and heard the storm, only a few were affected, including us.  A little further in Matthew 24, Jesus says 2 people shall be in the field, one shall be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one taken the other left.

God is not slack. He will come back for his people and the rest will be left. But, there are many more who need to know his salvation so he patiently waits, knowing that when He comes the disaster for those left will be sudden and destructive, even to the burning of everything.

Would you like to know a little more and do some experiments with “lightning”? Try this website for some insight: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/experiments-thunder.htm

Have you asked for God’s forgiveness and salvation? Has God shown you His patience and power in some way?  Please share your experiences with us.  

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. II Peter 3:9,10

Wow! What a storm we had the other night! At first it seemed like a normal summer storm and it was, but not for us. As we sat at the supper table there was a huge ball of light in our back yard. The lights went off, then came back on, sort of. Six light bulbs were blown, three above our heads, 2 in the kitchen and 1 in the living room. Oh, but that’s not all. The phones were dead. The modem was blown on the internet. The mouse was blown. The ground fault receptacle was dead. And the air conditioner was blowing heat and would not cut off! An A/C repairman thought the lightning may have melted some elements together! When we went out side we noticed mud splattered on top of a car under a carport shed. How odd, until we noticed the other signs; a hole the size of a cantaloupe near the car, another hole under the wheel of a flower stand. The ground was ripped up and roots de-barked and more mud slung on a patio. What in the world? The spot where the lightning had struck! None of our neighbors had been affected and thankfully we were all safe but the things of this world had melted and burned up in a flash.

In Matthew, chapter 24, Jesus tells his disciples that the coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning coming out of the east and shining to the west. The storm the other night helped me picture the unexpectedness of His coming. It also helped me understand that it is very visible. All our neighbors for miles saw and heard the storm but, compared to the number of people who saw and heard the storm, only a few were affected, including us.  A little further in Matthew 24, Jesus says 2 people shall be in the field, one shall be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one taken the other left.

God is not slack. He will come back for his people and the rest will be left. But, there are many more who need to know his salvation so he patiently waits, knowing that when He comes the disaster for those left will be sudden and destructive, even to the burning of everything.

Would you like to know a little more and do some experiments with “lightning”? Try this website for some insight: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/experiments-thunder.htm

Have you asked for God’s forgiveness and salvation? Has God shown you His patience and power in some way?  Please share your experiences with us.  

Planting God’s Seeds

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. John 12:24

Remember those seeds you planted last spring? What happened to them? You may have seen the seeds come out of the ground on the first leaves or they may have remained in the ground. Either way, the seeds died when the little plant began to put down roots and lift up the first sprout. Now, months later, you are enjoying veggies (the fruit)  and flowers from those seeds that rotted and died. Inside the fruit of the veggie, the beans, squash, tomatoes, okra, etc. are more seeds, lots of seeds to plant next year.

Experiment 

Take 2 or 3 left over seeds or a few dry beans. Grab a paper towel and a sandwich bag to see what happens.

Fold the paper towel in half twice so it is the size of the sandwich bag. Now, dampen it.

Place it inside the sandwich bag.

Place your seeds on the towel and zip the bag closed.

Pace your bag of seeds in a sunny window and watch what happens.

Jesus wants us to be like that seed. He wants us to “die to self”. In other words forget about what you want and let Jesus show you a better way. When we follow what Jesus wants, we will be witnesses for Him to everyone we meet. When someone gets save, that’s called bearing fruit. Lots of people can be saved through the witness of one person like you and me. We can bear lots of fruit. Like the veggies in our garden, a new Christian has the potential to bear more fruit. They can tell others just as you did.

Did you have any left over seeds last spring? What happened to them? Aren’t they still lying there in the package doing nothing, just waiting on someone to poke them in a little dirt?

That’s the way Christians are who don’t witness. We give all kinds of excuses. We don’t know what to say. We don’t want others not to like us. The excuses can go on and on. We just sit there without any fruit. Isn’t it exciting when we see someone get saved? Let’s all get out of the chair, step out into the world and plant a few of God's seeds.

Got any fruit to share? Leave us a comment about your experiences planting God’s seeds in the hearts of others.

http://activiblogkidsactivities.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html

A Cherokee's Love

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

Got any Indians in your closet? Family history says my great grandmother was a Cherokee. I haven’t found a way to prove it but the outward appearance says it’s probably true – black hair, chocolate brown eyes, dark skin, no sunburn. Since we only live about 2 hours from the NC reservation, my dad took us to see the outdoor drama of Unto These Hills when I was a kid. It was the first time any of us had ever seen it. It broke our hearts to see how one man gave his life for his people. Because of Tsali, the Cherokee hiding in the mountains of NC were allowed to stay. Those already  surrendered were taken on the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma. Kermit Hunter did a great job in writing the drama so we don’t forget the sacrifices people have always made for the freedoms we enjoy.

Funny thing happened one year when I was planting a garden. A friend of mine gave me a handful of black beans. She said they came off the flea market in Sylva, NC. The seller called them Black Wax beans. I planted them, watched as they put on beautiful purple flowers and made long pods of pole beans. They tasted pretty good too! The next year I searched the bean catalogs and on line for Black Wax beans. I couldn’t find a thing. Then I saw a picture of Cherokee Trail of Tears beans. The description was exactly the same as my Black Wax. It also gave a little history. The Cherokee women hid the beans in their hair or in their pockets for food and seed when they walked the Trail of Tears. Could the seeds I was given be seeds left in the mountains with those for whom Tsali died?

Tsali died for the love of his people, to save them a place in their land. It got me to thinking, Jesus died because of his love for us, to save us a place in heaven. Tsali killed a soldier in defense of his wife. The soldiers made a deal to let the Cherokee stay if Tsali gave himself up. He knew he would be shot. Jesus committed no sin or offense against the Jews or the Roman army or anyone. He was without sin, yet He and God the Father decided before the world was made that He would give his life for us, so we could receive eternal life.

I still grow Cherokee Black Wax beans in my garden. It reminds me of why I get to live here instead of Oklahoma. It also reminds me that Jesus willingly gave His life so I get to live eternally with him. What reminders has Jesus given you of His eternal love for us? Won’t you share your experiences on our blogsite?



Look! A Rainbow!

Fear. Worry. Doubt. That’s what happened to me just before we went on vacation. I just felt like something bad was going to happen. I couldn’t disappoint everyone and say, “We’re not going,” just because I had a feeling. Soooooo, I prayed. Every time that little cloud of worry or fear or doubt came passing into my thoughts, I prayed. No one knew but me and God, of course.

We got lost going up the road. It rumbled and thundered as we put up the camper. The rain poured and the wind blew while we took a trip to town for supplies.  It rained during the night.

We went to the amusement park the next day. The train engineer warned of cinders that might get in our eyes. Our grandson was scared of the chairlift until his papa said he’d take care of him. It wasn’t dawning on me that our Papa is taking care of us. After lunch there was lightning and thunder and rain. The rides shut down for a few minutes but not long enough to suit me. I was still worrying.

It rained most of the way home the next day. We put up the camper to dry out and the rains poured again. I did remember to thank God for protecting us and getting us safely back home. And then I saw it. A RAINBOW! peeking out from behind a cloud. It finally dawned on me that I had nothing to fear, or worry about, or doubt. God’s promises and His plans never fail. I thanked Him again for the rainbow as I called everyone to come see.

No, things don’t always turn out perfect but God has a plan and He promises to see you through it.

What fears or worries or doubts do you have? How has God shown you His love and care? Has he reminded you in a special way that He is still in charge?

You may want to try this easy craft to help remind you that God promises to take care of us, not matter what the situation.

Don’t forget to leave a comment and show us your rainbow.

Materials:

1 paper plate

Markers

Scissors

Ribbon

Hole punch

Fold the paper plate in half. Cut along the fold. On the back write out a Bible verse that reminds you God is taking care of you. You may want to use Isaiah 41:10. On the front use the markers to make a rainbow. Did you know there is a special order of the colors? Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, there is indigo that is very hard to see so I didn’t color it on my plate and, violet (purple).

Now cut 3 puffy clouds from the other half of the plate. Label them Fear, Doubt, and Worry. You may want to add verses to the back of each cloud as reminders that all through God’s word He promises he will take care of you. Some verses you may want to use are I Peter 5:7; Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 33:3; Jeremiah 29:11.

Sandcastles

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Psalms 127:1a

Summer – Sand and sandcastles – whether you’re at the beach or in your backyard sandbox, building with sand is the name of the game. We used to make “toadyfrog” houses by piling damp sand over our feet and trying to drag our foot out to leave a sand cave. Then we would get clover and twigs and stuff to decorate around the house to make it nice for the frogs and toads that might hop by. But… the next rain that came along washed our houses away. They were not made of anything substantial.

Our lives are like that. No matter how hard we try to make a house a home if it is not built on the things of God they will come crashing down. Jesus tells the story of a wise man who built his house upon a rock. The rains came and the water rose and the wind blew but the house of the rock stood firm. A foolish man built his house on the sand. The rains came and the water rose and the wind blew.  The house on the sand came crashing down. Jesus is the rock of our salvation. We may see wicked people who look successful but one day their world will come crashing down around them.  Whatever we do if it is not Jesus plan for us, the plan will fail.

Have your tried making sandcastles? Is Jesus making you aware of His plans in your life or family. We would love for you to share with us. Leave a comment, please.

Blessings, Gail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMev6nS6Ppk