He Lives!

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,^[ and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Matthew 28:1-6 NKJV

Blessed…

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

Give It Up!

Give up self-sufficiency

Give in to Christ and be set free

God knows our faults, yet loves us still

Our hurts and pains are His to heal

Give up your sorrows, give up your fears

Look back no more on your lost years

Give up dwelling on past mistakes

Enjoy life! Give yourself a break!

Look up to God, enjoy His wealth

Give up the focus on yourself.

Christ paid the price that we may live

Eternal life is God’s to give

Our spirits ache and yearn for God

Accept His gift, it’s not that hard

Don’t die a death brought on by stress

You’ve tried all else; Trust God, Be Blessed!

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV

Stress Test!

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13 NIV

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the hearts Proverbs 17:1 NKJV

Harsh winds blew this butterfly sideways. Yet, it hung on.

And we should too.

We all have some preconceived notion about how much stress we think we can bear. Most of us are reluctant to endure anything beyond what is absolutely necessary.

However, God knows our greatest potential. In order to unlock the best within us, we must often endure some trials that will inevitably strengthen and prepare us for what lies ahead.

What you may perceive as a loss—divorce, bankruptcy, unemployment or failed relationships may actually prepare you for a brighter future. The ability to withstand the stress of life’s disappointments is the same discipline required to enjoy life’s blessings without becoming consumed by them.

A prospering business or active family is very much a blessing. But each comes with its own share of challenges and responsibilities. The ability to bend without breaking or walk through fire comes with maturity and experience gained not in the good times but in the bad.

A nail is hammered into place to keep things together. The hammering makes the nail effective and allows it to serve its purpose.

As much as it hurts, our hammering shapes us as well.

It can build us up from the inside out or we can allow it to beat us down.

Character, endurance, and faith are tested and strengthened when we learn how to withstand trials, not avoid them.

Through Christ we can endure whatever we are forced to face and come out stronger than we ever dared imagine.

God’s grace is sufficient.

Endure the stress, and pass your tests!

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 NIV

Welcome Spring!

It is now officially Spring! Flowers have gradually begun to bloom, birds are singing with a renewed fervor and all manner of critters in my corner of the world are rejoicing.

The activity of the three Bs (birds, bees and butterflies) finally caught up with the calendar. This week I was fortunate to enjoy their presence and their signal of a new season.

Yet, unlike the seasons on the calendar, our personal seasons are unpredictable. They can arrive at any time.

A harsh winter often catches us unaware. It may arrive in the midst of the seasonal sun. Or, we may reap a bountiful harvest when there are few signs of life and the frozen sky still stands gray.

I’ve decided to mentally “spring forward” even though my plans (ha ha!) have yet to catch up with me. I’ve been waiting for a few changes all the while I suppose God is waiting for me to mature enough to handle them. Our seasons of bounty and new fruit eventually follow the long seasons of preparation and patience.

While we may think we’re ready for (fill in your personal blank) God may be waiting for us to get a little stronger, possibly a bit wiser or even gain experience so we can conquer the challenges that inevitably accompany our blessings.

And there will be challenges.

We often pray for a new this or that, yet rarely do we expect or prepare for the burden that comes with the blessing.

When God answers our prayers we often receive more than we asked for. It isn’t always a “good thing” but it may be necessary.

With that promotion may come huge responsibilities.

New house!? New mortgage.

Sometimes our answered prayers may even come with unanswered questions!

Often that little bit of “extra” keeps us grounded and humble.

It may very well be that our something “extra” allows us to keep our spiritual eyes on our Savior instead of recklessly worshiping the very “thing” God blessed us with!

So, as I wait (patiently) for a few positive changes, I am thankful for what I do have and look forward with faith that my spring will come. It may not follow the dictates of a calendar but I’ve learned God’s timing is always perfect.

I trust that when my personal spring does arrive, I am mature and wise enough to manage my harvest as God would have me to.

In the meantime, I will enjoy the blessings associated with this time of year. I will think forward and spring forward embracing even more of the ~~sun’s~~ Son’s warmth while I wait.

Will you?

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV

Morning Dew

^{The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew.}

^{Proverbs 3:19-21 NKJV}

Don’t Lose Sight!

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 NKJV

Today I caught sight of two very large birds in the sky. I am pretty sure they were vultures but I watched them anyway. I was trying to decide just where they were going or what possible carcass had drawn them near.

All the while I was watching them I saw waaaayy up in the sky a hawk flying far higher than those two. I almost missed it. The hawk had a white underbelly that nearly blended into the overcast sky.

At that point I felt a gentle “nudge” from God. My message for today was “don’t lose sight.”

I am very aware that I am easily distracted and pulled away from goals and priorities that are important to me. As we are soon to close out this first quarter of the year I was reflecting on what goals I’d met and those I need to give more attention.

I’m doing well on a few. But others have managed to slide by the wayside.

My “distractions” aren’t trivial. They are the same life issues that most people deal with.

Job. Family. Even self-doubt.

I’ve noticed that when we set our mind to carry out something productive or walk the path God sets before us there is always that “lion” waiting in the bush seeking to “steal, kill and destroy.”

Sometimes we can become so fixated on our personal “vultures and lions” that we forget to look up to God instead of concentrating on the chaos around us.

We can often become so distracted we forget what we are trying to accomplish in the first place!

And that is exactly what the enemy wants.

Some distractions are so loud that we fail to hear God.

Others are blinding and we fail to see God.

I challenge you (and myself) to reexamine your goals and “resolutions” for 2015 and with a renewed spirit, go after them!

Instead of worrying about what the vultures are doing I will look higher and seek God’s guidance for my next steps. I don’t believe God’s best for us is preoccupation with things that reek or are dead.

We do best when we set our minds on higher things, that we may fulfill our purpose and enjoy the blessings God would give us.

God can renew us just as He brings the trees through winter into a fruitful spring.

Delay is not failure. We only fail when we give up.

I trust God’s grace is sufficient for me to meet and even exceed my goals.

What about you?

Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 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 43:18-20 NKJV

Forever…

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

Isaiah 40:8 NKJV

I want to thank Lee at Lee’s Birdwatching Adventures Plus for inviting me to participate in the Five for Five Black and White Photo Challenge.

Sherri Matthews at A View from My Summerhouse did accept my nomination! Her photos will post next month.

Due Season…

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 NKJV

Sometimes our personal “winters” seem to go on forever. They are barren and cold. There are few glimpses of the sun. We can easily become tired and hardened if we aren’t careful!

Yet the ice eventually thaws and spring comes once more. We can reap a harvest if we don’t give up. We can sow seeds of love and mercy even when we don’t feel like it.

Some people will never deserve our love. And we will never deserve God’s love for us!

God loves us in spite of our flaws. He equips us to do the same.

We can love our neighbor. God would not command us to do so if we were not capable of doing it. It’s not always easy but God’s grace is sufficient. For everything!

Sow seeds of life not death.

Keep moving, trusting and doing good.

Love. Give. Forgive.

And in due season we will reap the harvest.

**Thanks for checking out Day Four of the Five for Five Black and White Photo Challenge. To join in the fun simply post five photos in five days and ask someone to join you each day. Lee from Lee’s Birdwatching Adventures invited me to participate. You can check out his photos right here.

Into The Woods!

Robert Frost wrote “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference,” in his poem The Road Not Taken.

I suspect the route to fulfillment and blessings requires that we instead forge our own path.

As a child I was cautioned not to go into the woods that were near our home. The potential for snakes and briar bushes kept me fairly obedient. I teetered along the boundary but fear kept me content to remain just on the edge.

Yet as an adult, I’ve experienced God pulling me away from what I perceived to be a safe place and nudging me into a few “scary” ones as I kicked and screamed along the way.

Sometimes God leads us where we don’t want to go.

We may second guess what God is doing and why we need to inhabit such uncomfortable quarters. Our prejudices and fears often place us in direct opposition to his prodding!

I don’t like to walk in the woods. I’d rather walk through a clearing where I can see what is in front of me.

The woods are full of dark shadows, biting things and all manner of critters. The further in you go, the less sun you see.

But sometimes life is like that.

We may wander paths where we feel alone, but The Sun is still there, ever present as we confront our fears. God has forced me time and time again to focus on my present state of affairs instead of obsessing about the future.

My present state has at times been scary. But these same life experiences taught me to look up instead of worrying about tomorrow.

I’ve learned to trust more, rationalize less.

I have slowly learned that I’d rather forge through the woods with God than walk that more traveled path without Him.

I think many of us don’t fulfill our purpose or reach our full potential because we want to play it “safe.” For some “safe” may mean away from the criticism of others. Or, it may mean to simply maintain the status quo.

Yet, if you are still longing for more out of life it may be time to make your own way.

Dare to knock over a few bushes, pick up your spiritual sword and hack away at your obstacles. Get up and get moving in the direction God is leading you.

Is this potentially scary?

Very much so. But if God is truly leading you “into the woods” He will certainly get you through them!

Will you get scratched up a bit or bitten?

Probably.

But you will emerge stronger and resilient as you come out of those scary places with God.

Trust God to lead you. Listen and obey.

Our paths are as unique as we are.

You can follow the crowd or be led by our Shepherd.

Is it past time you took a walk into the woods?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

**Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out Day 3 of my Five for Five Black and White Photo Challenge. Thus far I’ve only had one other blog agree to participate. The rules are simple. Just post five black and white photos daily for 5 days and nominate another blog to participate. I was nominated by Lee over at Lee’s Birds and you can enjoy his photos here. Come join the fun!