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!
Good Fruit!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:4-6 NKJV
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:10 NKJV
Are you bearing good fruit? 
**Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out Day 2 of my Five for Five Black and White Photo Challenge. If you would like to participate you can find all of the details here.
Color blind!
My friend Lee, over at Lee’s Birdwatching Adventures Plus invited me to take part in a Five day Black and White Photo Challenge. I’ve always loved black and white photos. Perhaps it is because black and white photos challenge me to view things differently.
Instead of merely glancing the surface when presented with a color photo, black and white pictures often prompt us to look a bit longer into the various textures and layers we may not otherwise notice.
The ridges in the petals and the drops of dew in the featured photo might likely go unnoticed against the vibrant yellow and contrasting green of the original image.
We can lose sight of details that matter when we allow ourselves to become distracted by color as well.
Many sports fanatics are blinded by team colors. Some die-hard alumni bleed their school colors. I’m not going to even delve into skin color.
Opportunities for fellowship, friendship and growth are often lost when we fail to look beyond superficial appearances.
Our blessings often lie in the background of our lives waiting to be noticed and appreciated. We can fail to recognize and appreciate the blessings right in front of us when we go off chasing the more colorful things in life!
We can all stand to view things a bit differently from time to time. 
Who knows?
When we learn to look beyond the obvious, such as color, we may very well find what we’ve been searching for.
“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” Ephesians 1:17-19New King James Version NKJV
Shelter!
“Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; In You I take shelter”
Psalm 143:9 NKJV
My “yard cats” know exactly where to go in times of trouble. I’ve watched them hightail it up this tree in mere seconds. Unfortunately, we aren’t always as quick to run to our safe haven.
Some of us are quick to turn to friends. Friends who often offer a wealth of advice even while struggling to manage themselves.
Others prefer to “Google it” and see what can be found on that world wide web. It can certainly draw us in, sometimes tangled and deceptive, offering as much misinformation as good.
If only we were as quick to seek our Father/Shelter in times of trouble what angst we would spare ourselves!
As we go through life’s trials and unexpected turns, we can choose to rely on ourselves and other people. Both are imperfect choices.
Or we can turn to God. 
God’s Word holds the answers we seek. Only God can provide peace and protection. Come to Him all who are weary and heavy laden.
Some of us are so accustomed to running, we don’t know how be still. Instead of running away from your problems run to God. Trust Him to take your burdens, whatever they are, in exchange for the peace and refuge only He can offer.
Never underestimate God’s love for you! Run to Him and be blessed!
From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
Psalm 61:2-4 NKJV
Pretty Girl!
Last night I lost my pretty girl.
One moment she’s clearing her throat. The next, she is gone.
She was not a young dog. A cataract was slowly growing in one eye. I suspected her hearing might be waning (though she could hear a bag of chips opened in the kitchen from the second floor!)
She woke me each morning with her “dog breath” and tail wagging. She slept in our bedroom, often annoyed when we turned on the lights after she had retired for the evening. She faithfully greeted me when I came home, giving me a look that the “guys” had forgotten to let her out!
I knew she would not live forever. I thought I would have time to mentally prepare.
That did not happen.
A couple of minutes of increasingly labored breathing followed by a trip to the doggie ER would reveal cancer. Her lungs were full of it. By the time the vet could figure it out, she was leaving us.
I bawled like a baby.
A very ugly cry I’m sure. My husband held me tight through his own tears. The people in the waiting room probably thought we were crazy.
Or not.
Anyone at a Vet ER in the wee hours of the morning probably “gets it.” In our waiting, another pretty girl came in. A black Chow. Within minutes her owner was told she wouldn’t survive the necessary surgery. She was fifteen. They had to put her down.
The tough guy owner cried. I cried. Again. I suspected we’d be next.
For about an hour it looked like she was “recovering.” It gave me and my husband time to hold her. Hug her. Love her. One last time. She had our undivided attention, just as she liked.
The labored breathing began again. And then I knew.
Really knew.
I read somewhere that the most important lessons in life you can learn from a dog. She taught me much.
The value of a nap. Unconditional love. God’s love for me even in the “smaller things” in life.
You see, we lost her once. She got spooked and took off running.
She was gone for nine days.
We put up fliers. Put ads in the papers. Offered a reward. Searched shelters.
My prayer was that she’d been picked up by some nice family and not hit by a car.
We got phone calls of sightings. We just missed her several times. Even customers from my pharmacy searched for her.
One night it stormed terribly. My girl was out there. I lay in bed sobbing.
Just weeks prior, we received news that my oldest son had a clean bill of health. We had gone back and forth to the Aflac Cancer Center after receiving a very rare diagnosis. So grateful, I figured I shouldn’t mourn my dog because God spared my child.
Grace came via a local mail carrier. She saw our dog and knew she didn’t live at that house. The mailman called the number on our flier. My husband rushed over.
I waited. No phone call. I resigned myself that she was gone. The garage door went up and my hubby came in holding the most beautiful, matted, tick infested bundle I had ever seen.
God gave me my dog back. 
This picture was taken just last week. She never liked having her photo taken. I guess she decided to humor me one last time.
Two wags of a tail and her smile made all her bad deeds go away.
She stole the cat’s food. Ripped napkins on the floor. Dumped her food out so she could pick out the prime pieces she wanted!
Noel, was my Christmas gift in 2004. I’ve been blessed with many gifts in my life. Many “expensive” gifts.
But she by far, was one of the best.
That day we rode to Ball Ground, Georgia and she let my young boys love all over her, I knew she was The One.
My pretty girl. Sabrina Noel. We love you. You Blessed Us!
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 NKJV
Don’t Be Deceived…
And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them. Luke 21:8 NKJV
This morning the usual chirps and chatters in my yard took on a drastically different tone.
From my perch I could see birds flying frantically back and forth. A bossy mockingbird stood guard. I thought to myself there must be a hawk in the yard.
As I collected my camera and coat I saw a couple of shadows fall over the yard as I headed outdoors. Kind of ominous. I’m thinking to myself that hawk is flying pretty low. I often see them but not usually this close.
I stand outside waiting for a decent picture of anything with wings. Then I spot one. And then another. Soon there are about a dozen in the sky.
Now, I’m no expert on birds but even I realize something is amiss. The hawks I usually see are loners. I may see two together, three at most but very rarely. I have my doubts but keep shooting anyway. I’m anxious to see what’s on my camera.
My “hawks” weren’t hawks at all.
They were vultures.
From their distance in the sky they can pass for hawks to the untrained eye. But their behavior told a different story. My yard birds readily identified the enemy. 
Some people are like those vultures. They look like one thing but their behavior eventually reveals the truth.
They live off others. Their presence is overwhelming. They prey on those small and weak. In nature, most creatures readily recognize the enemy. We aren’t always as discerning.
Our enemies are rarely obvious. They don’t arrive with a pitchfork and horns. Some are flatterers. Many endearing. Our enemies often know the right buttons to push. They can be manipulative. Often, we are oblivious until it is too late!
I’ve been praying for wisdom lately. I didn’t expect this lesson today. I asked God for a few bird pictures expecting cardinals or finches. I received far more than that.
I did manage to finally photograph a hawk. It flew higher than the vultures, not at all threatened by their presence in the sky. 
I like hawks. God uses them to remind me to “fly high” when I am tempted to “get low” and tell someone what I’m really thinking. I often see them when I need a bit of inspiration, no coincidence I’m sure.
I was reminded today to look closely and not act on what I think I see.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8 NKJV
We can’t resist our adversary if we don’t recognize him.
Every good deal, isn’t a good deal.
Some “problems” are merely distractions to pull us off track.
Don’t be deceived into thinking God doesn’t love you. He does.
Don’t be deceived into thinking setbacks will last forever. They won’t.
Don’t be deceived by rhetoric that is contrary to God. All lies.
When in doubt, check it out.
Investigate. Research. Read. Pray.
Listen to God when your gut is screaming “Danger!”
Wise choices often precede a blessing.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 NKJV
B Is for Blessed! 