Wisdom & Understanding

Wind of Change “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 Looking out the window of the exercise center that I attend several times a week has become one of my favorite pastimes.   It literally is a “pastime” because it makes the time past more easily and faster as I am doing one of my least most favorite, but necessary things to do. The views are nice; there is a lake where dozens of geese have taken residence, fish that we can actually see when the lake is not frozen over and all sorts of foliage that change with the seasons.   You might say that I really get a “bird’s eye” view from the center’s second story perch, and it is beautiful with each season.   One thing that I am learning about myself, even at this (ahem)...later stage, notice I didn’t say older, is that God speaks to me through nature, my surroundings. Now while I know that this is certainly not uni...

Oh what great memories I have of Christmases past!  Growing up in South Carolina we did not have cold weather or snow for Christmas, but still it was an exciting time. Going to the Christmas parade with all the local high school marching bands, the department stores (we only had about 2 big ones) all lit up with Christmas decorations and Christmas music piping through the speakers, all made my heart as a little girl race with excitement. On our local radio station, every Friday night after Thanksgiving, "Santa" would come on and read all the letters that he received from us kids in the community. Of course I sent one every year (until my brother told me that there was no Santa Claus and it was stupid).  But back then it was so exciting to hear when "Santa" would read my letter over the airwaves. He would say "...and this letter comes from Veronica Byrd that lives on Lincoln Avenue...she says that she has been a good girl and would like me to bring her a Ti...

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, The consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you.” Joel 2:25   I love getting old stuff, cleaning it up and repurposing its use. My eyes light up when I spot a “treasure” while perusing the aisles of a thrift store…I can see the potential in what may be someone else’s cast off.   Now don’t get me wrong, I like new stuff too, but I seem to get so much joy out of things that have been around for a while. To me they have a story and even though they are inanimate objects I wonder what they have witnessed in their “lifetime”.   Some old things have aged gracefully and show little wear, which means they may have been in a china cabinet or a room and never really used; while some pieces are what I call all “jacked up” and look as if they have been kind of thrown around.   Were they cared for and appreciated? Are some of the questions that...

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.   He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15: 1-4 “Pruning is a horticultural practice involving the selective removal of parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. Reasons to prune plants include deadwood removal, shaping (by controlling or directing growth), improving or maintaining health, reducing risk from falling branches, preparing nursery specimens for transplanting, and both harvesting and increasing the yield or quality of flowers and fruits. “   -Wikipedia   I have a plant that I have had for a number of years. I bought it as a small plant and now it is in a very large pot. T...

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27 As I wrote about in my last post, I believe this is a season of healing for me. After many years of being a part of what I now see was an abusive church situation; finally leaving there and then desperately trying to “fit in” somewhere else, only to find that I never could. I see now that while I was trying to return to what I thought would please God was only a deterrent to what He was trying to do in my life…heal my wounds and get me to know Him for myself rather than what someone had portrayed for me. In Matthew 10: 1-3 it says that Jesus called the 12 disciples and gave each of them authority to cast out demons and to do miracles.   If you’ve had some doubt as to rather or not that included Judas, read verse 3 that specifically states Judas, yes the one that betrayed Jesus was in that number also. Jesus equipped Judas with everything that the others had; the only difference was Judas’ motive of the he...

A Time to Heal… There is a time for everything,     and a season for every activity under the heavens:     a time to be born and a time to die,     a time to plant and a time to uproot,     a time to kill and a time to heal,     a time to tear down and a time to build,     a time to weep and a time to laugh,     a time to mourn and a time to dance,     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,     a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,     a time to search and a time to give up,     a time to keep and a time to throw away,     a time to tear and a time to mend,     a time to be silent and a time to speak,     a time to love and a time to hate,     a time for war and a time for peace. - Eccl...

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”   I Corinthians 13:11 October…beautiful October!   This month has many happy memories for me: it is the month that we (my late husband, son and I) moved into our new to us home in New Jersey. We had a home in the Philadelphia area for a little over 6 years and felt that it was time to move on up. We were “The Jeffersons” of New Jersey.   J   I remember that we were so excited and planted like a hundred flower bulbs that October. I still have some flowers that come up from that planting many years ago.   What a great time that was, new home, nice neighbors and beautiful weather! The month of October was also the month that we would make our annual trip up to what we called “Dutch country”, which is in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area.   It is so very beautiful up there this time of year when the leaves change the...

“I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”   Matthew 28:20b This scripture has kept me comforted for many, many years.   Somehow knowing that God is by my side has made this life so much more livable. At the age of about 10 or 11 with the arrival of my beloved baby sister I was no longer the star of the family, there were times that I would withdraw and climb up my favorite tree.   Being a tomboy of sorts, I was usually found in a pair of cutoff jeans climbing some kind of tree, which besides reading was one of my favorite pastimes.   But there was a special tree, a Chinaberry tree that grew on the left side of our driveway near the backyard that I would climb when I wanted to “fly away”.   When I would climb that tree and finally get to the highest branch, I can remember now like it was yesterday, I felt like I was on top of the world…my little world anyway.   With the warm breeze blowing in my face, I felt as close to God as I...

Wow how time seems to be flying!  I guess that it's true what they say "The older you get, the faster time seems to fly." I am just so grateful to be here and be able to enjoy the changing of the seasons. Fall is my most favorite time of the year. The weather is usually moderate in temperature here in New Jersey With cool mornings and evenings and slightly warmer mid days. The leaves generally begin to change in colors around mid to late October. You will also see lots of signs for Apple and Pumpkin picking around that time. The geese will begin to fly south, so there is a lot of honkin' going on and the Mums (Chrysanthemums) are huge and gorgeous, and shouting at me on each farm or road stand to stop and buy a couple for the front porch. I don't think that I will do as much decorating this year as I have in the past, simply because it's WORK to take it all down.  Oh I'll still sip my warm Apple cider and light my new Autumn scented candle when I bri...