Greater Love Has No Man

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.John 15:13

My dad was drafted in WWII, but was turned down without explanation. He was drafted again during the Korean Conflict and sent to Germany as part of occupation forces. Thankfully he didn't have to give his life, but every person who enters the armed forces faces that possibility. 

This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day, the day set aside to honor those who have given their lives for our freedom. Freedom has never been and never will be free. I personally want to say thank you to every veteran who has served this country and to those who laid down their lives for us. It is their love for freedom and for family that compels them to make the ultimate sacrifice. 

But there is another who deserves even more thanks for laying down His life for me and you. Jesus Christ came out of love for us knowing He would face death. Knowing His death would be necessary for our salvation. Through Christ Jesus, we can not only be free from the burden of sin in this life but free to live with Christ for all eternity. Not on a cloud, strumming a harp, but doing those things that most please God. Perhaps spending time in conversation, walking in the cool of a garden. Perhaps singing. Perhaps picking fruit from a tree that bears twelve different varieties. 

We grumble and complain about our lives and our government, but there is no other place on earth to enjoy the freedom and comforts we have here. I have traveled outside the US to a third world country. If you've never been there, you cannot imagine. There will be no grumbling or complaining when we see the gifts Jesus has prepared for us through His love and sacrifice. 

Thank you to all who have served,

and thank you to my Lord and Savior.

Gail

Hey Kids:

I dug out an old photo of my dad in uniform to share today.

I remember as a child he would show us this picture and tell us a little of the things he did in service. He laid telephone lines and called artillery fire. 

He also taught us a little German. I thought kartoffeln was just another word for potatoes until I was a teen taking German in high school, because he would just ask us to pass the kartoffeln. 

Take a little time this weekend to find out who has served in your family. 

Ask mom and dad to dig out old photos and tell a few stories of your families sacrifice of love.

Don't forget to say a thank you to those still living and don't forget to thank the One who gave the greatest sacrifice of love for us.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Sweet Potatoes Make Strong Christians

I've been planting sweet potatoes this week. Purple and orange potatoes. I've grown my own slips before but I met a young dad and his daughter selling these. I'd never heard of purple sweet potatoes, so I had to give them a try.

You know, sweet potatoes don't come from seeds. You have to sprout them from another sweet potato. Then you break off the slips and plant them to get more potatoes. Christian families are kind of like that. The children have to grow up under our guidance, from our own tuber or roots in our little gardens. We can't just scatter a little knowledge and expect our children to grow into strong Christians. There must be that home foundation that is the mother plant for growing our children in the Lord. One day they will be ready to break away from us to grow families of their own. We want them to be strong in the Lord to prepare a Christian home for our grandchildren.

So how can we be sure we are grounding our children. A little Sunday School and a little preaching won't be enough. We must daily instill the Word in our children. The first way to grow strong children is by our actions. Are we honest in our dealings with others? Is our day filled with joy or complaints or even anger? Are we truthful with others and with our children? Do we keep our promises? Are our children working along side us or do we put them off in their rooms to play? Are they helping us with the cooking and cleaning or sitting with the iPad? Is there family alter time at the end of the day or the beginning of each day?

Growing another crop of sweet potatoes depends on the quality of the tuber the slips are grown from. Growing another generation of Christians depends on the quality and quantity of time we put into the lives of our children.

May we all tend our little gardens well. 

Blessings,

Gail

Hey Kids:

Have you ever grown sweet potatoes?

Place a sweet potato in a jar that holds about a pint.

Fill the jar about 3/4 full with water.

Place toothpicks or skewers around the middle of the potato.

Place one end of the potato down in the water, resting the toothpicks/skewers on the side of the jar. Hold it over the sink in case some of the water runs over the side of the jar. 

Place the jar in a sunny window. In a couple of weeks you will see sprouts with leaves rising from the sides of the potato. 

As these sprouts begin to form little roots you may break them off of the potato and place them in rich soil to grow a crop of sweet potatoes for that great Thanksgiving pie.

Now try imagining how you grow from your parents' guidance to become strong a Christian. 

Are you drinking from the Water of Life?

Are you reaching for the Son?

Are you putting down roots into the good ground of God's Word so you will be ready when it's time to break away and start your own family? 

May you be blessed by God's leading. 

Sacrificing through love

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Ephesians 5:25

This morning I watched as a father chickadee brought food to the mother sitting on their nest. The bird feeder was right beside the birdhouse, but he chose to fly farther off for the needs of his spouse. Back and forth, back and forth he flew while other birds flocked to the feeder. Once in a while he went to the suet basket to take a bit of fat. She watched for him, barely poking her head out of the small hole that led to their nest. No birds or squirrels seemed to notice the mother or the nest, though they were all around it trying to get the easy food.

I wondered why the father chickadee didn't take advantage of the feeder full of sunflower seeds. Was he bringing in sweet morsels of healthier tidbits for his spouse? Was he bringing water? Was he risking flying farther off to keep other birds and animals from discovering their nesting spot? The farther he ventured, the more he endangered himself by hawks and cats and other predatory animals, but the closer he stayed perhaps the more he endangered his family.

The Lord had a purpose in creating all that He did. We will probably never discover all the reasons for creation, but I love watching all that happens out my window and in my yard. I can learn so much by just observing. How precious to see the father bird care for his spouse and babies. The mother bird, hiding, yet watching for her spouse to return, warmed my heart with the love even animals seem to have for their family. I could make other analogies to the family, but families today are in such disarray that I felt the Lord say, "Watch how even nature teaches us to put our families first."

Forget that the culture tells us that we need to take care of number one. There are more important people than just me. Jesus put us before Himself. He gave His life for us. Is our selfish desires putting our families at risk? Are we the cause of others destroying the homes we have created for our children, the homes we promised, committed before God, to keep until death do us part? Jesus committed to die for us before the world was ever created. Revelations 13:8 says, "slain from the foundation of the world."

May we all take a moment this week to evaluate how we can put our spouses and our children above our own personal desires and needs. It may be a little more trouble, but a safe home, a peaceful home, a home where we are willingly sacrificing through love, is the best home.

Blessings on our families,

Gail

Hey Kids:
What's your favorite backyard animal?
This may be a good week to take a notebook and/or a sketch book out to observe just how that animal interacts with his/her family and the other animals in the environment.

Here's a few things to think about.

Does this animal have a mate? If not how is it attempting to attract a mate? (You won't believe the antics mocking birds go through trying to impress a female!)

Where does a mated pair construct a nest or bed or home?
(You may have to do a little research or just searching your yard to figure that one out.)

How do they protect their home and why?

Who are their enemies?

How do they provide their family with food and water?

When, if ever, are the young left alone or unprotected?

How do they train the young?

You might ask your parents for help in understanding how you can apply this to your own family?
What scriptures does God give us about taking care of our families?

In a Garden

image courtesy www.bucknur.com

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8

 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8

What will heaven be like? Will it be a garden with things for us to care for? Will God come in the cool of the day to visit and fellowship? Adam and Eve lost a perfect place and a perfect relationship. Did God give them a taste of heaven in the garden? 

I'd like to think the answer is yes to those questions. I love my garden. It's a quiet place of work and rest. My body does the work, but my mind is at rest, smelling the fragrance of blossoms and the good earth, listening to the hum and buzz of the bees and insects, watching the birds fly in and out, capturing their meals, the taste of ripe strawberries, and the feel of damp soil in my hands. It is restful work. In restful work, I can pray and listen for God's answers, answers I am too busy to hear in my rushed day. 

My garden is my little piece of heaven. My time to communicate with the Maker of all things. We all started out in a garden, the Garden of Eden. When He restores all things, will we find ourselves restfully working in a garden again? I hope so. 

Blessings for restful work this week,

Gail

Hey Kids:

God gave us five senses to learn about His Creation.

He gave us touch, taste, smelling, hearing, and seeing.

Have you ever thought about how God shows us His love through our five senses? 

Do you love to cuddle with your pet?

Isn't the taste of a fresh peach dripping down your elbows delicious?

Do you enjoy the sweet smell of flowers in the yard?

Have you ever listened to newly hatched birds calling to their parents for food?

Are you fascinated by the flitter and flutter of a butterfly among the bright flowers?

What a kind and loving God to give us these five senses to experience His creation! 

Why not make a list of things you enjoy through your five senses. Then thank God for His wonderful works. 

Why Don't You Dance?

Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. Psalms 149:3

Last week we visited our grandchildren who live about an hour away. The oldest, Annie,  joined us as we went to the studio where her mom makes pottery. As soon as we got in the studio door, Annie turned on her CD player and began to dance, lifting her arms and twirling, spinning, leaping like a little ballerina. I began to listen closer to the music. It was children’s praise songs! She invited me to join in the dance. “Follow me,” she said. Who can resist the insistence of a child? So I followed as she demonstrated. As we danced, I remembered our first granddaughter doing the same type of dance on the rostrum before a service while a video played “One Touch” by Nicole C. Mullens. She had been clueless that anyone was watching.

How do we outgrow this type of worship when scripture tells us to praise his name in the dance? Is this the same inhibition we demonstrate when the Spirit says witness to this person and we respond with “I can’t”. “They won’t like me anymore,” or “I don’t know them.” Etc, etc, etc. Believe me I am just as guilty as anyone to give these excuses. I could have told Annie, “Grandma doesn’t know how to dance.” Instead, I took advantage of the moment to worship with a child.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

How can we expect others to turn loose of inhibitions and come to Jesus if we allow ourselves to be hindered by what others might think?

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3

May our hearts and minds be free to worship and demonstrate the power and love of Jesus that will bring others to Him this week.

Blessings,

Gail

Hey Kids:

How do you feel when you hear praises being sung to Jesus?

Does it lift your spirit, your heart?

Do you want others around you to join you in that worship?

Jesus loves to see you praise Him in the dance and with song.

Who can you invite to praise with you this week?

Maybe first you can pray for someone who does not yet know Jesus, that they might see and hear your praises.

You might ask that person to join in praise with you.

Another verse says, and a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6

You may be the person who leads this lost loved one to Jesus.