Wisdom & Understanding

The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Psalms 27:1 and 5 In my Junior and Senior high school years, I was the "darling" of the regional sororities. For some reason these classy ladies felt that I had enough talent to compete in the Talent shows and perform at the Cotillions they sponsored. My music teacher, Mrs. Streater, was a lover of all types of music and her choices to teach me for the competitions were classical pieces. It was this wonderful woman that taught me the classical arrangement of "The Lord is my light". Even though I could hit every note and stay on perfect pitch, I did not know the power in the words I was singing at the time. Though the awards and accolades came, I still did not know what a declaration of faith I was singin...

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. " Psalms 51:10 With all the rain that we've had here in the past week, I would say that the earth has had a good washin'! I traveled south over the Easter break from school to visit relatives. And all down the east coast I was met with rain, in some cases torrential downpourings. Everything has a purpose, so I know that the rain is good for many things. I may not like the clouds, dark skies and muddy puddles that accompany it, but I am sure that the benefits of rain far exceed the complaints. Sometimes our hearts need a good washin'. No matter how many years that I have submitted my life to the Lord, there are still times that I need to take the time and really look into my heart to see if there are things that should not be there. I must admit most of the time that I check I always find something that has creeped in that I know would not be pleasing to God. Whether it be unforgiveness, go...

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise You forever, because You have done it;And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good. Psalms 52:8-9 The Olive tree is mentioned so many times in the Bible, besides it growing in abundance in the Middle East, it has so many helpful uses. In some cultures the Olive leaf represents glory and peace. And then the fruit of the tree is good to eat and we know about all the healthful benefits of the oil. The Olive tree also has a long life span. It is reported that in Crete there is an Olive tree that is at least 2,000 years old. So to be like an Olive tree is a good thing; it means to me that I am useful, have many good benefits and longevity. This can also mean that I am stable and reliable. I am sure that if a tree can stand the test of time for 2,000 years, it has seen some storms; but the Olive tree has proven that it can persevere. With all the dr...

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." Matthew 21:6-11 Today we recognize what we call "Palm Sunday". It was a day of Celebration when the people honored Jesus. Even though less than a week later some of those same people yelled "Crucify Him". We know that His crucifixtion was all for a reason, but still as I reflect on the series of events as written in the Bib...

"Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills." Psalms 147:7-8 Today started off as a dreary, rainy day. Yuk! Now don't get me wrong I like the rain...sorta...I mean we need it for the flowers, grass and to replenish the rivers etc, etc. But getting wet by cold rain and a gray sky are not my most favorite things. I won't let the weather dictate my attitude today though. I will try my best to be bright and cheery. There was a song (Now I'm telling my age) that the group the Fifth Dimension used to sing back during the 70's called "Let the Sunshine In" and it went like this: "Let the sunshine, let the sunshine, the sunshine in." Now that tune will be going around and around in my head ALL DAY! It's going to be a great day!

I very seldom listen to the news on TV or read the newspaper, but with everything being on the Internet it's hard to miss it! Headlines about whole families being murdered, churches and nursing homes being invaded by crazed gunman...it's heart breaking! Am I the only one feeling like these incidents have escalated over the last couple of years or what? Just this morning as I traveled my regular route to work, I saw flashing blue and red lights and as I got closer I saw where the police had pulled someone over and it appeared they were in the process of handcuffing him! I mean I'm not a novice to seeing all this kind of stuff and am not ignorant to the fact that in this world "things happen", but it seems to me that it is happening more often than it used to. The Word of God tells us not to fear, that the Lord is with us. Psalms 22 talks about how our ancestors trusted in God and were NEVER disappointed. This is what I must keep in my mind and heart during the...