Wisdom & Understanding

I am ashame that I have not posted on this site in so long...I will not bother to give an excuse...just laziness and I have been busy. It's hard to believe that it has been almost a year since I started this blog. Last year I believed that the Lord had given me the desire to have more wisdom and understanding, thus the name of this blog. And He was so faithful in leading and guiding me to obtain those two things. Many opportunities came when I had to exercise the "wisdom" that I have gained since serving the Lord and many situations came when He helped me to use my "understanding". I have found that "wisdom" is actually using the knowledge that God has already given you. And "understanding" is allowing Him through His Holy Spirit to direct your thoughts, opinions and your will. I have learned how to just let some things go but also how to pursue some things and to stand my ground. It will soon be 7 years since my husband passed , since I bega...

It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places. Psalms 18:32-33 God never ceases to amaze me! This morning at dawn, I went outside to pickup a phone book that was delivered at the end of my driveway. For the past few days it has been very rainy and dreary, the kind of weather that makes you only want to be inside the house. But this morning with promises of a clearer day, as an early riser, I ventured out to pick up the phonebook now probably sodden with all that rain. (I really wish that the phonebook and newspaper delivery persons would either aim higher or come to the door like they are suppose to when leaving their goods, but that’s another story for another time) As I was walking down the driveway I spotted him, I say him for sure because on his beautiful head he wore antlers, I would say he was not that old because though the antlers were big, they were not massive as some I have seen. There h...

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. I Peter 5:6-7 It is a humbling thing to be humbled. Today was one of those times. Duties that I had taken pride in doing for a very long time have been taken away from me. As I sat and listened to the people that are responsible now for those same duties, I began to think that all my hard work had gone in vain. Spending extra time, taking work home and even checking and double-checking to make sure each detail was perfect, now seemed like some big joke. And the joke was on me! Did I think that I was indispensable, that no one could perform like me? I thought that I had the right motive…to do a good job without expecting any recognition. But as the Lord began to gently speak to my heart, I began to see that my motives were not a pure as I thought they were. As I submitted to the fact that life goes on and God is the one that order my ...

Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. he LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalms 121: 4-8 I had a rough day yesterday, started to worry about things that I really should not. But the feelings became just like a roller coaster. First a wave of worry, then doubt, then fear, then self pity was in hot pursuit. I felt like I was spinning out of control! And here I thought I was such a secure person…but it happened. Finally I called my younger sister and asked her to pray for me. I know it was the right thing to do. Because as she prayed it was like a soft warm blanket fell upon me, shutting out all the worry, fear and anxiety that I felt. And yes, even the loneliness that tried to overtake me began to go away. By the time s...

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. Psalms 145:3-6 As I was walking into work this morning I looked up at the sky and saw the most beautifu lsight I have ever seen! Whites clouds like lace with a pink shimmering border! This against a blue sky was something to behold! I stopped and stared up at this awesome sight. I did not care who was watching me as I took in the beauty of God’s handiwork! Lately, I have really taken the time to “smell the roses”. We are all in such a rush most times, and what we are rushing to, will be there when we get there! We miss out on so much in life by flying by blindly to accomplish something that doesn’t really matter in the whole scope of t...

Happy Birthday Ma! Today is October 2nd, your birthday. If you were still on this earth you would be 85 years old! And I’m willing to bet that if you were here you would still be the good looking, well dressed woman that you always were. Can I tell you… I miss you Ma. I miss our Saturday morning talks, how we would laugh! I’m sitting here at work and wondering how I have made it without having you to talk to. So much has happened since you’ve gone. First of all I have 2 grandchildren now and I know how you felt when I used to visit with my son (your grandson). I remember how you would spoil him and treat him so special. Guess what? Now I understand, because now I know how special it is to have grandchildren and what a special love God gives us just for them. Ma, you know already that Larry passed away, so I know how you felt when Da died. If I had known then like I know now, I would have called you more, because I know how lonely it can get sometimes. I would have paid more attention w...

“Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalms 37:4 There is nothing better than a very relaxing day, doing what you really enjoy doing. The older I get the more I am learning how to just relax and let those times just happen. Yesterday was one of those days. After checking out the prices of replacing my double storm doors; I decided that it would be better for my pocketbook if I just slap on a couple of layers of paint and put on some new hardware. And Voila! I must say my front entrance look fabulous! (That is if you don’t look too hard and see the drops of paint that missed the doors). So with “new” doors, it was time to decorate. Decorating for each season is my most favorite thing to do, other than eating a Hershey’s Special dark chocolate bar, but that’s a whole other subject. Since I am in decorating mode, I might as well make it an event so I start a big pot of Vegetable beef soup in the crock pot; nothing like soup to warm up a...

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Psalms 54:4 I really enjoy my drive to work, most mornings that is. I put on my worship music and enjoy my 20 minute ride through the country side. On occasions I do have to dodge the driver that dangerously weaves in and out of traffic or the elderly person that gets in front of you and drives abut 10 miles and hour, but most times I have a peaceful drive in. This morning I enjoyed the beginnings of the autumn season. Fields that once were brimming with green corn stalks are now turning to brown. Fields of green produce are now turning to shades of gold. Flocks and flocks of geese trying desperately to make their V formation. I don’t know if they are actually flying south this early or rehearsing for the real thing. I say this because I notice that a few of the geese are having a hard time getting in “line” behind the leader, it makes me laugh. Fall is in the air, you can sense it, and there is a definite change in the...

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalms 127:3 There are babies being born in my family and it is so precious…they are so precious! My sweet little grand–nieces and nephew, all three born within a year or so. I look at their sweet perfect little faces and I cannot help but praise God for His goodness and miracle working power. I think that in these days we have taken the birthing process for granted. Millions of babies are aborted every minute around the world, I believe that the thinking about birth has cooled down to a “Ho-hum “ experience. When the birth of every child is a miracle within itself. The Bible says that children are a heritage from the Lord. God is giving us a legacy and we know that every gift from God is good. God is saying to us “here is a gift to see yourself go on to another generation”. Though my son is grown, every time I look at him I see his father, even his grandfather and I also see me. And now that he has ...

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17 Sitting a the dining room table having my devotions, I began to feel a little sorry for myself as I thought, “Is this it Lord?” Is this what my life is suppose to be like?” I am 57 years old and my exciting weekend amount to visiting the nursing home to hear my 81-year-old friend give me an update on the consistency of her bowels and how often she moves them? I began to laugh and cry at the same time, ever did that? Cry because of the pathetic-ness of it and laugh because it IS funny! I don’t mind visiting the home it’s just that it was not part of my “plans” so many years ago... Let me go back a bit, back when I thought I was in the full fledge of life. My late husband and I had lots of “friends” and we were busy most nights of the week. We were involved in ministries that required meetings. So when were not out doing the ministry, we were in the ...

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. Psalms 139:13 Ever since I was a child my feet have been the subject of many complaints by me, embarrassment and jokes. Now don’t get me wrong I’m very thankful for my feet, how does the saying go “I once complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man that had no feet”? So really I am grateful to have feet and be able to walk! Thank you Lord! But because the Lord chose to make my feet unique (ahem) putting it mildly, I never chose to wear shoes with the toes out. I am a confessed shoe lover and always admire people who are able to wear their toes out and painted with those cute little open toe shoes (sigh). Things dreams are made of, for me. When shopping I pass over those shoes and head for the closed toe ones. I do venture to wear a “mule” (shoe with the heel out) and have lots of those. But I never had the nerve to actually wear a classy open toe shoes for fear of hearing gasps from anyone in public who w...

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 I heard a song the other day as I was lying in bed listening to the Worship channel on TV. It took me back to a time when my little family was intact. By that I mean that my husband was alive and healthy, my son was a child and I was a full time homemaker loving every minute of it. It was a time of great joy for me because I love that family thing. And as I lay there I could see us three back then, in church singing the song that I heard on TV, with Sunday dinner waiting for us at home. It was almost a ritual, we would go to Sunday morning service come home and eat dinner then take a nice afternoon nap. We were living the life and I was happy. What a time of peace and tranquilty it was back then. We knew that God was blessing us and though things were not perfect, everything seemed normal and it was a comfortable lifestyle. As I lis...

Pass me not, O gentle Savior, hear my humble cry, While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by. Chorus Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry: While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by. Let me at Thy throne of mercy, find a sweet relief; kneeling there in deep contrition, help my unbelief. Trusting only in Thy merit, would I seek Thy face. Heal my wounded, broken spirit, save me by Thy grace. Chorus Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry: While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by. Frances Jane Crosby or Franny Crosby as she is well known is the writer of this famous hymn. This prolific lyricist was born into a poor family. Then as an infant she contracted a cold with inflammation in her eyes, the local doctor was not available so the man who came to treat her prescribed a treatment that ended up being a botched procedure that resulted in her permanent blindness. She never knew her father who died when she was one year old. Her mother and grandmother raised her and...

But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Luke 18:16-17 God is all about “balance”, as much as He wants us to “grow up” and mature in stature as well as wisdom; He also wants us to have the simple faith and trust of a child. Notice I said simple not silly…there’s a difference. Simple faith and trust as in free, unrestrained, without complication and with willingness. The last six years of my life has been a journey. Since my husband’s death I’ve had to get to know me all over again. It was time for me to “grow up” about a lot of things. And God took me by the hand and lead me (He’s still leading) through some times that were very somber, sobering and enlightening. But the lyrics to the song “Through it all” the chorus rings very true “I’ve learned to ...

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. Psalms 34:3 Magnify – to increase the apparent size; to make greater than. To intensify; make larger. The Psalmist knew what he was talking about when in his excitement he said “Oh! Magnify the Lord with me! Trouble was a very familiar thing to David. Even when he became King he still had many troubles and yet he knew the secret of worshipping God! He knew how to make God bigger than his problem. Have you ever watch an ant carrying food to his abode? In most cases what is a crumb to us is larger than his entire body! Yet the size of that crumb does not deter that ant from staying focused on the task at hand. No matter the size of its “burden” the ant through divine instinct can bypass what it sees as a problem and fulfill its purpose. When we have difficulties in life we may look at them as being insurmountable burdens that are too big to fix or carry, when in God’s eyes they look like crumbs! I thank Him for His mercy a...

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1 Many years ago I was a leader with the Teen ministry where I attended church at the time. We sometimes had between 200-300 teens all in one building at a time. One of the songs we used to sing was : "God is my refuge and God is my strength, a very present help in trouble. God is my refuge and God is my strength a very present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear though the earth be removed.And though the mountains fall and be cast into the sea!" I can stiil hear all those voices singing out now, some sincere, some not so sincere, but it was a joyous sound to behold. We were declaring God's Awesome power! Man! that must make Him feel good! It's funny how things can come back to you just when you need it. I have not sung that song in so many years I can't even remember and yet! The other day when I was trying to have a pity party and was doing a really good job of it, that song came ba...

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalms 46:10 I’m a “thinker” (someone who is always trying to analyze an action, deed or person). While it has it good points, I know that I have missed many moments of plain ‘ol fun because I was too busy trying to figure it out. How many times have my late husband, co-workers and friends tried to surprise me and I would not let them because I was too busy trying to “figure” it all out! Basically I don’t like surprises and am a person that likes to be prepared. Like the time I took my car to the mechanic and asked him could he fix a certain thing on my car that I thought was soon due for maintenance. After reluctantly checking it he looked at me and said “M’am I can’t fix it unless it broken.” He then gave me a smile with pity in his eyes, as if to say “Lady you’re crazy!” I guess in my own pityful, tired little way I think that I can avoid life's surprises by "headin...

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9 What’s the difference between a skyscraper and a star? One was built by man and the other was God made. When man makes something, no matter how magnificent it may seem to be, it still has that element of being “man-made”. In other words there is always a blueprint or instructions on how they (man) went about making it. On the other hand, when something has been made by God, you just can’t quite explain it. For example if you go to a florist, she or he can tell you in great detail on how they made an arrangement, how the flowers were flown in from some exotic country, and placed and wired just so to make a magnificent masterpiece. But that same florist cannot tell you how to make one flower! In my conversations with God lately, I have been asking Him about some things. Questions if you will about some things that have transpired in my life. I don’t resort t...

Thou shall have no other gods before me. Genesis 20:3 My kindergarten through 2nd grade of schooling was in the parochial system. My older siblings and I attended a Catholic school and received an excellent education along with support of moral beliefs and values that we received at home. When I entered my 3rd grade year I began to attend public school. Now this is surely giving away my age, but I clearly remember having a copy of the Ten Commandments in all of my classes. Even in my 12th grade year, along with a copy of the Constitution there was a copy of the Ten Commandments in full view. Teachers would often reference the Ten Commandments in their lectures. When I think back now, it was such a part of our lives then, we sort of took it for granted that it would always be that way. Fast forward to today, where it is a crime to have any kind of “religious” display or teaching in the public school system. If you talk to most students they have no idea who Moses was, or even Noah a...

I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip; he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you, the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalms 121 It is 3:00 AM and I am fully awake. I’ve given the kitchen a good cleaning. I’ve even written notes to friends and prepared them to be mailed. It was while I was watering and misting the plants that it dawned on me: What in the world am I doing up this time of morning! True, I am an early riser, but not this early! I glimpsed out the curtains and viewed the quiet sleeping world. I mean even the birds aren’t singing. That nagging mocking bird or what...

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, "God has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me"? Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts.. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind. Isaiah 40:27-31 (The Message) I am really tired today. It is manifesting as physical tiredness, but I believe that it is stress related. I am still in the learning process on how to completely turn things over to the Lord. And though I have come a long way, at times I find ...

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 Most of us know the story “The Ugly Duckling” written by Hans Christian Anderson. It’s a story of an egg that some how gets in the nest of a duck. The egg was unusual looking but the motherly instincts of the duck caused her to nurture it along with her duck eggs. The same was true when it hatched, the “duckling” that came out of the strange egg looked very different from the other ducklings. The mother duck continued to love and nurture this “ugly duckling” until one day she had to send him away out of the barnyard because of all the torment, taunting and rejection that he was suffering at the hands of the other barnyard animals. To make a very long story short (or a little short, you know how I get carried away sometimes), the “duckling” suffered much rejection even in the outside world. Time past and it wasn’t until he was beginning to give up a...

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26 To quote my sister, “Birds love your backyard.” She said this on a recent visit as she looked out my second story window. I take that very seriously coming from her. After all her years of bird watching she has a “trained eye” in spotting all kinds of birds. Her backyard in Virginia is a Bird and butterfly sanctuary. She has birdfeeders all among the trees and beautiful flowers planted through out. Gorgeous! I on the other hand have a few trees and no flowers in my backyard. But I do see some kind of berry bush out there that a cardinal visits faithfully every winter. Don’t get me wrong, I like birds but I’m not an avid bird fan (especially since those “Cat birds” chased and attacked my then small son, dog and anyone that came into our backyard that summer!) My late husband had to resort to shooting a BB gun...

Sow for yourselves according to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God); reap according to mercy and loving-kindness. Break up your (fallow) uncultivated ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, to inquire for and of Him, and to require His favor, till He comes and teaches you righteousness and rains His righteous gift of salvation upon you. Hosea 10:12 (Amplified Bible) On my way to work a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the farmland on either side of the road that I was traveling. The fields that were flat and void of any kind of crops all winter were now freshly plowed. The black rich soil had been turn upside down and it seemed every which way. The soil of these fields that had “rested” all winter, were now lumps and bumps of earth facing the rising sun…waiting. About 2 weeks have gone by and I am on my way to work again and this time as I notice, the fields are now covered with rows of rich, green plants. And the scriptures above came to mind. Breaking up “fallow...

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1 Years ago, a delightful couple began to attend the church at which I was a member at that time. They were from one of the Islands and both had dynamic, bubbly personalities. He was gifted as a musician and could play several instruments. His wife was very intelligent and did quite well in the business world. They were a real blessing to the church, not only to the areas of music and administration, but just for being wonderful people. This couple was in their early to mid thirties and up until that time had been unsuccessful in having a child of their own. They had gone the whole medical route and had almost settled in their hearts that maybe God wanted them to adopt, when she got pregnant! We were all so happy for them and rejoiced when their beautiful, healthy baby girl was born. What a testimony it was to God’s timing and faithfulness! About a year...

Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 At Buckingham Palace it is with great ceremony when they change the guard. They march with complete focus and attention as they switch positions at the gate. I love the fancy uniforms and how you cannot distract them from the ceremony. They have been trained to receive and relieve the position of guard with dignity and decorum. When their “shift” is over they leave with as much pride and honor as the guard that’s coming on duty. Years ago when my back patio was not enclosed and there was a big tree near it in the yard (since cut down), I was sitting there one fall morning and a wind blew and the leaves on that tree came off with a rustling sound. The Lord “spoke” to my heart and said, “I am moving like the wind and many will flow with me just as the leaves flowed with the direction of the wind.” When I “heard” that in my heart...

Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." Selah! Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf! Psalms 66:1-5 On one of my trips to the West coast during the Christmas holidays to visit my son and his family, they took me on a trip up the coast to a town right on the beach. I’ll never forget how beautiful the scenery was. At some point as we traveled it was clearly the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other. We stopped at the rest stops and admired the beautiful views. During the trip we also visited the Hearst Castle and even saw the elephant seals come up on the beach, it was awesome! My son and his sweet wife had rented a beautiful home walking distance to the beach, in fact you could see the beach...

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 You know what? There are some evil acting people in this old world. Some nasty acting people! And I must admit sometimes I’ve had it up to here (hand over my head) with these folks. As a Christian I know that I am to love unconditionally like it says in Corinthians 13, but I confess I don’t always hit it. I recently was around some people that were continually instigating and prodding me to say bad things about other people. (I did not) They on the other hand were constantly gossiping and running folks down just as easily as you talk about the weather. I know that I am in this world and am a realist, but I was beginning to feel “ugly” and “nasty” being in this atmosphere. It grieved me to see first hand just how evil and cruel the world can be. And of how I can be if I am not careful to foll...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 Why do I worry about some of the silliest things? Stress is an awful thing and can affect your life and your body in various ways. I’ve been around for a while (I’m not that old) and still sometimes I feel like I’m lacking in the area of confidence. Just this past weekend I had an eye doctor appointment and even though I see this guy regularly, I still get nervous when I go there. While he was checking my eyes he seemed to prolong the process. Then when he was looking over some test results, he hesitated and seemed to frown. Finally I could take it no longer and asked in a rather shaky voice “What’s wrong?” He gave me a rather rambling answer (or did it just sound like that to me?). I could actually feel anxiety creeping upon...

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalms 27:13 I can still remember it as if it was yesterday. My son along with his family was leaving to return to their home. This was about a month after my husband had died. I am eternally grateful of how my son and his dear wife were so helpful in taking care of all the arrangements for the funeral. I was in a fog and still cannot remember certain things about that time. But I remember clearly the day that they left, because it was one of the saddest days in my life. As I watched them leave, knowing full well that this was necessary, they had already given a whole month to be there for me. I still felt that I had no idea of what would become of me. The only way that I can describe it is that I felt as if I would disappear from the earth never to be seen or heard of again. I guess that I felt swallowed up in grief. You see I had never really been alone before. I grew u...

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18 (KJV) I never will forget my very special friend Shirley; friends like her are one in a million. Her life, though not perfect, shone with the light of Jesus. She loved God and people and her generosity in every way is still a testimony of the love of Jesus Christ. She had many trials in her life, one of them being the caregiver for a parent with Alzheimer’s disease. Though she had actual physical bruises from trying to handle the outbursts of a person with the symptoms of this disease, I never heard her complain. Instead she counted it an honor to be a servant of God in anyway. When she ushered at church she did it with a smile that made many people feel welcomed. Even when she spoke a word of correction, it was done in a way that made you feel that she really cared. She suffered much in her young li...

”A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance.” Proverbs 15:13a The power of a smile is phenomenal. A smile can be something that you give and 99% of the time you’ll get one back. I love watching people, in fact sometimes I think that I may have missed my calling, I should have been a private investigator or an international spy. (smile) Because I’m really interested in people and their “stories”, I have fondly been accused of being an interrogator working for the government and a member of the FBI. Seriously though I am bold and will ask questions if I see an interesting person (I do this with tact of course). (smile) It is very interesting to observe mannerisms, cultures and accents. It must be a family thing because for a fun pastime, I along with a couple of relatives can have a whole conversation in a foreign accent. Now with all this in mind, a few days ago I walked into a real Italian restaurant. Pirone’s (pronounced Pee-ro-nees) was down the street from the county Library where I...

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. I Corinthians 13:4-8a “ Love never fails”, those are the words that my late husband always ended his cards and notes to me. After so many years of marriage, I came to expect those words at the bottom of the page; and I was never disappointed. I remember especially this time of year (Valentine’s Day) this fond memory because we were married on February 14th. My husband did not have the opportunity to be forgetful of our anniversary date, because it was Valentine’s day, with hearts, chocolates and greeting card commercials advertised in every store and on TV. And he did remember each year. As we lived and grew together each year of our marriage, we learned what “Love ...

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 You know the Holy Spirit will be our own private tutor, if we let Him. He gives personalized lessons on life when we allow Him to be a part of our everyday living. I can only sadly shake my head when I hear people trying to make God so mystical and in order to communicate with Him we have to be down right spooky! NOT SO! God makes it simple because He knows how simple we can be! LOL I love Him so much for being so understanding; I give Him all the praise. I learned about mercy the other day in such a simple and profound way. I had only been to work for about a half an hour when several staff members came in the office to inform me that a student that was trying to park in a spot next to mine had hit and damaged my car. I imagined the worst, but when I got outside I saw that the only damage was some paint that had been scraped away from the bumper, one large and long spot and some smaller ones (estimated @ body shop as ...

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3 It is a very miserable feeling when you can't feel peace. And I have been feeling that way for a while. It is a foreign feeling for me, not unfamiliar, just a foreign feeling when it happens. I know what has happened, I have allowed the "trials of life" to overwhelm me. I have allowed bad memories and concerns to over take my mind and my joy. It is a very uncomfortable feeling, like wearing an ovesized, heavy coat on a sweltering summer day! There is a story in the Bible when David is about to fight against Goliath the Giant and King Saul puts his armor on David to "help" him. When David discovers that the armor was way too big for him and that it would be cumbersome trying to fight with it on, he took it off. We all know what happens...David DID defeat the giant with only 5 stones and a sling. I know that I am carrying a burden that I am unable to carr...

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessolonians 4:13-18 January 29th marks the sixth anniversary of my husband's passing from death into eternal life. Though it has only been six years, at times it feels like it's been longer and sometimes it feels ...

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 “…firmness of character, a woman that knows her mind, without timidity or feebleness of purpose. Nor a weak spirit that is easily persuaded and cannot be relied upon.” This was the line spoken by Captain Fredrick Wentworth, a character from Jane Austen’s book “Persuasion”. I love Jane Austen’s and the Bronte’ sisters books, they were women that lived in a era when women were considered very low on the totem pole if they were not from a family of wealth and married or engaged at least by the age of 20. Basically a woman should be “seen and not heard”, so these brave women wrote their messages of the unfairness of this sort of class-ism into their novels, wrapped their intolerance of the treatment of women of t...

The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life. Psalms 42:8 Oh how I needed to read this. There is something so comforting about God’s Word especially when you are going through transition. Being a widow is a big transition for me. It’s the kind of thing that no one can tell you about how to go through, you just have to press in and go through yourself. I was driving to work the other morning and along the way I saw the fields that once were green and overflowing with all kinds of grain, including corn. Now they stood barren with no sign of life. That scene along with the morning fog, painted a gloomy, austere picture. It reminded me of what it is like in life sometimes…some seasons. There are times when you go through a dry, desolate place, when you feel as if no one could have possibly come this way before. But it is in those times that I am reminded that as surely as the fields will be filled again t...