Blue Willow

 

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.~Romans 8:28

Have you ever wondered how you would make it through life if you lost everything except your family and one special treasure?

Dandelion Lives

 

picture by Manfriedrichter

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. ~Malachi 4:2

As children, we lay in the fields and picked dandelions, blowing the puff balls across the field or making crowns with the yellow flowers. As adults, we try to rid them from our lawns and gardens, calling them weeds. Weeds indeed! The deep roots plow through the soil, loosening it to let the rain reach the grass and garden plants. We deprive our children of lazy days of enjoyment in nature while learning the natural way of seed distribution and plant reproduction. Ah, but to the point. Dandelions are another reminder that creation speaks of the Creator, and they speak of us. 

Rooted and grounded deep in the soil, the dark green leaves show off the single orange flower head, whose stem is hollow to uptake water and nutrients in the soil. The flower soon changes to a ball of fluff whose seeds are carried by the wind across lawns and fields to bring a rebirth of the flower in another place. So what does that have to do with you and me? 

• Deeply Rooted - We need to be deeply rooted in God's word. The Word gives us the nutrients we need to grow as Christians. It is the Water of Life. 
• Yellow Gold - The yellow gold flower head in the middle of the whorl of dark green leaves speaks of the King's crown, in the center of our lives. We are the living body of leaves surrounding our hearts, which carries Jesus as the center of our lives. 
• Seed Distribution - As the flower matures, it shoots up a hollow stem that carries water and nutrients to the seeds that form around the center of the flower. The seeds grow and mature until they are blown away to another place for another time, just as we should be maturing and raising our children to be the seeds transplanted to another place and time. A place and time to raise another godly generation.

Sometimes we may feel that the seeds have flown without their purpose, but remember that not all flowers bloom at the same time. The living word you have implanted in those children will not be forgotten. In God's time, they too will produce another generation for the Lord. 

Heavenly Father, help us keep You at the center of our lives. Help us show Jesus to our children in our daily living. Help us implant Your word in their minds so their thoughts, their deeds, their ethics are demonstrations of You. May they see these same examples in our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Pretty Good

 

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 KJV

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 a 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 a pretty 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 (John 14:6). 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.

                                        Have you allowed Jesus to pour over and into your life?

Heavenly Father, help me not to think I am a pretty good person, that my good outweighs my bad. Lord, help me look into my heart to make sure I belong to You because of the repentance of my sin and faith in your Son, Jesus. Help me allow your Holy Spirit to pour into and over my life, revealing You to all who are willing to taste and see that the Lord is good. In Jesus's name. Amen.  

If you'd like a recipe for Maddog Cake, subscribe by email in the box at the top right and leave a comment below. 

Happy Mother’s Day.
Gail

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.

Rosie Revere Engineer

Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of

robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

IICorinthians 11:25,26

As I read Rosie Revere Engineer I thought about my granddaughters who are always playing, drawing, and constructing with whatever they happen to find. I thought of my little brother who was constantly inventing something (an electric eraser) or writing a new silly song.

Rosie wanted to be an engineer but it never turned out quite as she intended. People laughed. People she loved laughed. She felt like a failure. She hid her inventions and decided to give up until her great-great-aunt Rose came to visit. Rose had once worked building airplanes. Her dream never accomplished was to fly. Rosie was determined to help her aunt fly. She worked and worked and finally was ready to give it a try. Her invention rose into the air and for a few moments it .... Then it crashed to the ground. Her dreams of being an engineer crashed too. Rosie was embarrassed. She never wanted to invent again. But great-great-aunt Rose was there to encourage her. She had not failed. It had done what it was intended to do. It had flown. With Rose's encouragement, she began to invent again. Her inventions encouraged her classmates to become inventors as well. 

How often do we want to give up on ourselves? We feel God's calling, but what will others think? Will they reject our witness? Willl we say the right thing?  Will they laugh at us? Will they no longer be our friends? 

The Lord called Paul to be a witness for him. Did everyone he preached to become believers? No! Did he have friends everywhere he went? No! But some listened. Some believed his preaching. Some became his friends. Some joined him in preaching the gospel so others might believe. 

Let's look at our verse again. Notice the trouble Paul found himself in trying to accomplish the goal the Lord had given him. Preaching wasn't the only thing Paul did. He was a tent maker. His job gave him income and the opportunity to be a witness. He faced so many troubles be he never gave up when no one listened. He never gave up when the ship wrecked and they almost drowned. He never gave up when he was beaten or in danger. He kept doing what he knew he was supposed to do. 

God never fails us. He never leaves us alone. He calls us and equips us, even as children. Though we might feel like we have failed. Though we may feel like others are laughing. God sees and wants us to keep working. He wants us to use the opportunities we are given in our work, our school, and our "play" to be His witness. 

 Heavenly Father, help me never give up. Help us keep doing the things you've called us to do, to work hard, to be creative, to be your witness, regardless of what we perceive as others' reactions. Thank you for giving us examples to keep us encouraged. In Jesus' name. Amen.