Rejoice Always!

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4 KJV

The kids and I planted a little garden in the backyard of where we planned to build our new home. When the watermelons ripened each child wanted to carry a watermelon to the car. The watermelons were small, but my five-year-old daughter hefted hers up and struggled through the uneven ground until . . . it slipped. The little melon split into several juicy red pieces.

You would have thought, "Here comes a meltdown," but no, she promptly plopped down with her watermelon and began to pull out handfuls and cram them into her mouth. My boys saw how much she was enjoying the situation, so they intentionally crashed their melons on the ground. All I could hear was happy slurps and giggles. Needless to say, we were a sticky mess and I had no way to clean them up.

Kids carrying watermelons is a lot like living for Christ. Things don't always go the way we plan. We have to make a choice between a meltdown or making the best of the situation. My kids are all grown now, but I rejoice in great memories. When our walk with Christ causes stumbles and mishaps we can still rejoice. God is showing us a better plan. Best watermelon we ever ate!

Happy Memorial Day

Gail

Hey Kids:

Have you ever been disappointed in the way things turned out? 

I can remember having chicken pox at Easter and we had to hide eggs in the living room chairs!

How have you handled situations that could have been disasters had you not found a way to rejoice anyway (that means have fun)?

Greater Love

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. 

Next 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 because he would just ask us to pass the kartoffeln. When I took German in high school, I learned I had actually learned bits and pieces of another language.

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

The Best Recipe

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

I’ve got this pretty good pound cake recipe I like to use for Mother’s Day because it goes well with fresh strawberries. I say pretty good because it has good texture and flavor, but to make it Mad Dog Pound Cake I have to add the boiled syrup. I pour the syrup over the cake and in the middle. It sits and soaks and mmmmmmmmmmm. With the first bite, the syrup is running out the corner of your mouth and dripping off your chin. Of course, that’s an exaggeration but it sure seems that good.

Our lives are a lot like good pound cake. Most of us would say we are pretty good people, but is pretty good, good enough to get us into heaven? My pound cake totally changes when the syrup is poured over it and into it. The syrup can’t be removed and no one would want to scrape it off. No one wants the cake without the syrup once they’ve tried it. Jesus said no one comes to the Father but by Him. He is the way, the truth, and the life. We can’t get to heaven or be a true Christian without first coming to Jesus. When our lives are covered by His blood and filled with the Holy Spirit, we are totally different people, fit for the kingdom of God. Only Jesus makes us good enough. Like syrup, once we’ve experienced salvation, there’s no going back to the old pretty good person and no one would want to.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Hey Kids:

Have you ever tried to make a recipe and it "flopped"? Once I used the wrong kind of flour in my cake recipe. It overflowed into the oven and created a horrible mess. 

I just used self-rising flour instead of plain flour! Not a big deal one would think.

What would happen if I had put in salt instead of sugar? The cake would have to be completely thrown out and started over!

Our lives are like recipes. 

God has the recipe for us. We just need to read and follow His plan.

Romans 3:23 says For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Somehow we all manage to add that sin "ingredient" into our lives.

Now, how do we fix the problem? We can't, but God can!

Romans 10:13 says Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Corinthians 6:17

On Guard

Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.

“The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the LordAlmighty.

So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful. Malachi 2:15,16

Once there was a village set high on a cliff. The children were held close in the village for there were no fences on the cliff's edge. One day a man passing through the village suggested the villagers erect fences around the cliff so the children could freely play. The children would see the fence and not be afraid of going over the cliff. 

Perhaps you've heard this tale or one similar, but I think it bears telling again. So many of society's boundaries are coming down. Our children become more and more at risk of falling into step with a culture that will eventually take them the edge of life's cliff. Opioid addiction, immoral lifestyles, and teen suicide are all on the rise. Society has been tearing down the walls of morality for several decades. The voice of the church has largely been quieted by the loud voice of the media, convincing many that those who object are marginal weirdos. 

For the sake of our children, we must raise our voices and rebuild the walls. It may cost us financially and socially, but we are not forsaken. We must begin to rebuild the family, with moms and dads who put the nurturing of their children ahead of finances and society's expectations. Bond with families who are willing to share their knowledge and make sacrifices for the sake of the children. Learn skills that will save your family money. Most importantly, return to the God of our Fathers. Families that pray together, stay together. It all begins at the family altar. 

Hey Kids: 

My four-year-old class planted flower seeds for Mother's Day gifts. One of the boys asked if I had a garden. "Yes," I said.''Do you?"

"Yes, we have all the vegetables in it. We all help, even me."

Families have always worked together until jobs and stores took the place of family work. 

An old proverb says, "Many hands make light work."

Helping makes the work go faster, seem easier, and more fun.

Ask Mom and Dad to help you make a list of ways you can help your family.

Here are some suggestions to get you started.

1. Makeup beds.

2. Set the table and clean the table.

3. Wash dishes.

4. Help plant a garden. Then pick and help preserve.

5. Older kids may mow the lawn.

6. Learn to hunt and fish. Don't forget to clean and eat what you kill.

7. Learn to sew, knit and crochet. Begin simple but you may find your passion here.

8. Learn to build things and fix cars. Here again, begin small but this can become a passion.

9.

10.

What else can you do to help your family? By the way, all of this is without pay. You're helping your family, not working a job.