Wisdom & Understanding

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 I have always loved this scripture; it always encourages me that God has not given up on me.   In this text Apostle Paul was encouraging the new converts to Christianity of Philippi; letting them know that as they grew in the knowledge of their new faith, even though he, Paul may not be there, God would surely be there for them to continue the work in them. Some days, I need to read that over and over again! If you dare to listen to the news or look at one of the many reality shows on TV, it shows just how this society has fallen way below the expectations that God has for us. Isaiah 5:20 clearly states “Woe unto those that call evil good and good evil”…yet we see all the forms of media promoting sex and vulgarity and people, parents   allowing it to flow freely to our younger generation, and in most cases encouraging it. I look a...

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”   Jeremiah 29:13 Seeking…looking…what’s the difference?   According to Dictionary.com, the word “Look” means to turn your eyes towards something or to turn in some direction in order to see [a person, place or thing.]   Dicitonary.com also states that the word “seek” means to go in search or to be in quest for a certain person, place or thing. There are many scriptures in the Bible referring to and using the word “seek” when talking about God, not many about “looking” for God.   This made me begin to ponder the difference.   One example that stands out in my memory is the account about David, a shepherd at the time, and Saul who was made King.   Saul who had all the external attributes to be King was “looking” for that position, but David on the other hand just a young shepherd that spent most of his time out in the fields and hills watching sheep and praising God was “seekin...

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.    I Thessalonians 4:13-14 Today, January 29, 2012, marks the 10 th year that my beloved husband left this world to enter his eternal home.   I never much cared for the month of January; I mean the weather is usually gray, cold and dismal. Plus with all the celebrations of Christmas, January has a hard act to follow. But for the past 10 years there has been another reason I did not care much for this month, it reminded me of my husband’s illness and his passing. But this year I have chosen not to dwell on what was the sadness of January. I have chosen to think on the good things…the “whatsoevers Paul talks about in the book of Philippian: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are...

"The righteous care for the needs of their animals..." Proverbs 12:10a Since as far back as I can remember I have been a lover of animals, especially dogs. Had a Collie mix, my brother brought home when I was a kid, loved that dog so much.  Named him Scottie (don't know why). He was my closest companion during those years.  Loved to run in the fields, give him a bath in a galvanized tub out on the front lawn and ride my bike with him galloping beside me wide open, with his tongue hanging out!  But one day he just never came home.  We believed that he was kidnapped, since he was such a beautiful and friendly dog.  I was very sad for a long time about losing him. Then many years later, married with an 8 year old son, here comes into our lives...Scottie...our beloved mini schnauzer mix. We had him for 16 years. My son brought him home from a neighbor whose mini schnauzer had pups. "Mom can we keep him?, "I'll take care of him myself." You know who end...

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13 While reading "The Shadow of Your Smile" by Susan May Warren, I came across the part in the book where the above scripture was used. In the book it was stated that this was the favorite scripture of a deceased young woman who "Lived life large." As I read that scripture it began to dawn on me about my late husband, a man that always had an urgency to fulfill his calling by God.  There was an urgency; rather it was to simply apologize to someone or to sponsor an outside festival to unite local churches. He would work overtime at his job sometimes specifically to have extra money to do the things he felt God calling him to do, so that "He would owe no one for doing what he felt compelled to do."  I admit, at times I did not understand his urgency; why he had to go and preach in the men's prison, ...

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."  Psalms 100:4 Had a great time this year at Christmas, spending time with family. The grandkids are my delight!  As I waited in the airport today for the van service to take me home, I thought about how different  this year was from last year.  Last year when I returned home from Christmas vacation, I came home to a snow blizzard with over 2 feet of snow on the ground!.  My state was declared a "state of emergency" and I caught the last thing on wheels leaving the airport ...that was a miracle.  I made it home after an almost 3 hour trip that normally takes about 45 minutes.  The poor van driver had to drive about 5 to 10 miles an hour throught the blizzard, but he managed to get all of us passengers home safely, God bless him! When I finally arrived home, I found  the house cold and the finished basement filled with...

“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. This is the part that stands out to me today… “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:6-9 Giving credit to whom credit is due, it was author Tracie Peterson’s blog entry on “Writes of Passage” about the Tamarack tree that inspired me. Her post helped me to take a look at one of God’s unique creations and compare it to everyday life. Here is some info about this tree that grows in Canada, the Northeastern Unites States from Minnesota to as far south as West Virginia:    The wood is tough and durable, but also flexible  The bark is highly susceptible to fi...