They are in His hands

Are are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are numbered   (Matthew 10:29-31 KJV)
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows
We came home fom Sams one Friday evening. My husband said "looks like you have a bird with a broken wing to take care of". There was a very small bird in the corner of the entryway.  We, at first thought that he had a broken wing.  I found a box to put him in and began planning how I would take care of him. I attempted to pick him up and he flew away, only high enough to reach the top of the fence.  I walked to the fence to "help" him and heard a commotion above me.  Mama bird had been watching from above. She had a plan and I was not part of it. My feeble ideas of help were not what she knew was best. Baby bird finally took flight to make changes in his world.
What I tried to do for that little bird is what my feeble attempts to make everything "alright" for my girls looks to God.  They all in various stages of flying.  They are out there changing their world. I can't physically reach them. I can't fix everything or even attempt to. Just like my attempts with the bird, I don't need to.  My Heavenly Father has a plan and His is best.

The Source of our Strength

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.

I wanted to write my next blog on recovery, and I still may.  I thought of this verse.  I read the entire chapter for background and verse 28 spoke loudly to me.  I have been reading Lee Stobles books. Currently I am reading The Case for a Creator.  

In the early 1900s it was easy for scientists the accept The theory that our universe was the result of a random explosion.  Simple, finite minds easily believed that the "precise fine tuned order" we observe exists from such a haphazard beginning.  As technology improves we are able to see more of the beautiful detail in God's creation and respected scientists acknowledge that this order could not have resulted from randomness.  There had to have been a designer, an origin.  Most are not ready to acknowledge God, but readily admit the fine tuning requires a tuner.

Well, I do know this Creator and this give verse 28 significance for me.  Hast thou not known? Has thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.  God, the Creator is the source of our strength.  He is the One who makes our strength new.  We can fly, run and walk through our days in Victory.

A little old school worship

Strobe light, Lee. The Case for a Creator:  A Journalist Investigates Evidence That      Points Toward God. Zondervan. Grand Rapids,MI. 2004. Print

Isaiah 40. Holy Bible. KJV.  Print.

Avalon. "Can't Live a Day Without You". In a Different Light. 1999. Audio.

Lessons from my garden

Over the years I have frequently planted gardens, usually with no success.  I deduced it was probably my sandy soil. In an attempt to solve this, I decided to compost. My better half constructed a compost box out of reclaimed wood. For a year all of my plant based degradables were placed here.  Our leaves and grass went on top.  I allowed the decomposes to do their job for a year.  This spring, I planted 4 tomato  plants.  Oh my word, they have produced more than I thought possible. Today as I as I pruned I pondered these thoughts. 

We need to step out of our comfort zone. Because I had low expectations, I placed my plants too close together. The carrying capacity of the areas in my small box was not large enough to sustain the plants.  Some of the branches were unproductive.  They were comfortable hanging out in the shadow of the branches that were productive.  Isn't that what we do as Christians.  We stay in our groups and routines because it is comfortable.  I pruned many yellow branches that were no longer receiving their own energy from the sun because they were shaded.  I as the pastor of my small garden attempted to move these hidden branches around, but there was only so much space in the sun in that area.  This energy is important for growth, just as the Son is to us. (I Cor  9:11-12, Gal 6:4, Eph 5:8)

Sometimes we need to get rid of excess baggage.  I did this to my plants so that the productive portions could be more productive.  We need to cut out activities, people and things that suck our energy.  We too have a carrying capacity and it is limiting. Choose what is important and focus on those things, cut off those yellow branches.  (John 15)

Accept the differences of those in our ecosystem, they too play a role. Ok, so no one likes the decomposers, right?  However, they play a major role in the nutrition of plants. Appreciate those people in the background that supply what you need to be successful.  My daughter hates bees and runs when she sees one. But those bees allow for variation in the plants by cross pollinating. Those people that are scary or annoying are making you change, providing variation that make you able to survive.  Natural Selection is not an evil evolutionary process. (I Cor 12)

Learn from your mistakes. I won't list the mistakes I made with this small garden. I already have plans to make next years garden better. (Phil 3:12-14)  Share with others what you have learned (II Tim 2)

Direction, please

I returned to my blog only to find an unfinished post....I didn't finish as it was over a year old.  Instead I decide to start again.  

I do enjoy writing, but this phase of my life has been difficult.  My blog has been more of a diary....random and without direction, kind of like my life without the kids.  

Ah, the kids.  Briana is still in Boone.  She is very well established personally and professionally.  If find it interesting that she serves in her church nursery, something she grew up doing.  I love visiting her.  I love that she is surviving on her own.  While I miss her being home, seeing her smile and benefitting from her support, I am very proud of the woman she has become and I do not say it often enough.

Andrea is a wife.  She is busy building a home with her husband.  Jeff is most definitely a gift from God; an answer to two decades of prayer.  I am glad that she is close and I can experienced the joy first hand.  Watching them makes me smile as I fondly remember similar experiences in my life. 

Joanna is working diligently to finish her degree.  She amazes me with her ability to finish her work at the stroke of midnight.  She also has her own place and is surviving well without mom and dad.  She is a joy to those around her.  She is a source of help to many.  

I am writing on a highway in Illinois.  We are driving Baby Krista to St Louis.  I still can't believe she went to college so far away...AND wants to return. I did not think she would survive. She didn't just survive, she thrived all alone, without parents or sisters.  She makes me proud

Jimmy is driving the car, in the rain, at night in very unfamiliar territory.  For almost 30 years he has been leading our family as he follows God.  He is more than I ever deserved and I email grateful 

I am not sure what direction my blog will take, or even if anyone will read it....but my goal is to establish a new purpose for my life and hopefully that will be reflected in my blog

Unfinished Post

It has been over a year since my last blog.  My last post, I was in Virginia visiting my daughter.  I was taking a stab at graduate school and had just quit my brick and mortar job for part time work in the virtual world.  It was a time of transition, or maybe just a continuation of transitions.  There had been quite a few lately.
That summer, Joanna was at tech school in Charleston.  She moved to Lynchburg at the end of the summer to finish her schooling.  She has found a place there that she enjoys.  She has also brought a new grand dog into the family. 

This is Mia

The danger of following the wrong person

We took a hike up the mountain.  I was assured that the view would be worth it.  Since I was the old lady, I was well behind the young folk...alone.  It was all about the climb and I wasn't in a hurry.  I came around one particular corner, there was a family hiking too.  I chose to follow them, assuming that they knew where they were going.  I thought it was a little strange that we were going down when I thought we were supposed to be going up.  After a short while, the man turned around and said "I guess that this was not a short cut".  Now I was farther behind the crowd and had to up again.  If I had followed on the path and not followed the person that caught my attention, I would have been saved the extra difficulty.
We do the same spiritually, don't we?  We are distracted from what we know to be right. We must continually remind ourselves that God's plan to follow for our lives is this:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. (Prov 3:5-7)
The majesty of God's handiwork was breathtaking as you can see in our picture.  If I had not adjusted my path, I would not have experienced the beauty God had for me.  Be careful who you follow.

Just Another Day for Grilling?

          

Now, I love any reason to fire up the grill.  I always do on these summer holidays.  This year, even with no one at home, it was the same.  My heart was grateful.  Grateful for my Savior.  Grateful for my country.  Grateful for those who paid the ultimate price for my freedom. 

Two stories have had profound impact on me this week.  One young lady, Meriam Ibrahim just gave birth to her second child in a Sudanese prison.  She is in prison for not denouncing her Faith.  I can't imagine her suffering.  Unless there is intervention, she will die for her faith.  I feel so soft and pampered in comparison.  Heavenly Father, please comfort this mother and her children.  Strengthen her husband.  Impress those in charge to do what is right concerning these American babies and their mom.  Please remind me to pray for them and be eternally grateful for the freedom to express my faith.  Thank you for dying so that we can have life.

Michael Murphy....I have heard of Murph the protector, but did not until this week read his story.  He knowingly exposed himself to the enemy to call for help so that his men would have a chance at survival. I plan to watch His story and Lone Survivor to see the whole story of this human that willingly gave his life for my earthly freedom.

Yes, I grilled but I also remembered.