Summer bugs

I love summer…except for the things that bug me like the smell of fresh-cut grass – it makes me sneeze.  And whopping bugs and swatting flies is a bit annoying.  I seem to be the only one in our family with a multitude of misquotes bites! Why didn’t Noah swat those darn mosquitoes on the ark!  Muggy, humid weather is no picnic, either, especially when you have asthma; and speaking of picnics – I loved those minus the ants that seem to come with picnicking. I wonder why God created ants. I think it was to annoy mankind.

I do enjoy sitting out on my deck…in spite of the fact that it seems to rain every other day but, hey – its summer and I do love summer. I love those warm summer breezes, but the monsoon winds are another story.  God never promised us a rose garden along with the sunshine comes a little rain sometimes.

Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart I have overcome the world.” John16:33. With everything that Christ had to overcome in his life time, I can put up with a few bugs, ants, and muggy rainy weather invading my summer.   When we are bugged by the troubles of this world God gives us His Word and fortifies us with His strength. 

The Value of A Mother

Mom's in heaven now...I sure do miss you Mom!

        

How do you place a value on
a mother?

Her worth is far more than
jewels.

She rises while its still
night,

Preparing breakfast making
sure her family eats right.

She delights in working,
businesswoman extraordinare

Sewing and cooking and
selling her wares.

She does not fear the
winter, as her house is prepared.

She cans so many vegetables—there’s
plenty to share.

She smiles in the face of
adversity even unto the end,

Always, she has a kind word
for a neighbor or friend.

She’s a heaven sent angel,
guardian of life,

A protector from trouble,
worry and strife.

She’s a coach in life’s race,

Running along side, least
you fall on your face.

Her words are filled with
wisdom, kindness overflows,

She quietly ponders all that
she knows.

She constantly exalts me,
considers me her prize,

Crowns me with beauty, if
only in her eyes.

Beyond any other, I treasure
my mother.

I shall love, honor and
value her all the days of my life.

By Connie Hawkins – Mother’s
Day 1993

Planting Good Seed

This article came to me via of the Internet and with
spring planting season upon us,   thought it was perfect for this months Banner
column. It’s all about seed corn…it seems there was a farmer, who grew
award-winning corn.  Each year he entered his corn in the state fair,
where he won a blue ribbon.  One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him
and learned something interesting about how he grew it.

The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his
neighbors.  “How can you afford to share you best seed corn with your
neighbors, when they are entering corn in the competition with yours each
year?” the reporter asked.

”Why sir,” responded the farmer, “don’t you know?  The wind picks up
pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field.  If my
neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the
quality of my corn.  If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors
grow good corn!”

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot
improve unless his neighbor’s corn also improves.

So it is in other dimensions.  Those who choose to be at peace must help
their neighbors to be at peace.  Those who choose to live well must help
others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it
touches.  And those who choose to be happy must help others to find
happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this:  If we are to grow good corn, we must
help our neighbors grow good corn!  Be agood neighbor, exhort one 
another, and help one another.  Love your neighbor as thyself.  
 Keep planting good seed.  You’ll reap good things.

Faithful to a Fault

I like what Joyce Meyer says about faithfulness, “…it’s not doing something right once but doing something right over and over and over.”

One of my friends asked me how I can claim to have a blog to show case my writing when I lack faithfulness in keeping up the blog?  Faithfulness should be doing something ‘right’ over and over not just when I feel like it.  I’m so thankful for God’s faithfulness. How great is His faithfulness…all that I have need of His hand has provided; He’s faithful every hour of every day.

There are a lot of quotes about faithfulness that if applied to our daily lives would make living a whole lot easier.  Here are a couple of my favorites. By the way, I collect quotes, some of which are simply floating around in my head.

“Your faithfulness makes you trustworthy to God.” Edwin Louis Cole

“Faith is the virtue by which, clinging-to-the faithfulness of God, we lean upon him, so that we may obtain what he gives to us.” William Ames

“God does not require a man to have one talent, three talents, or five talents. He only requires that a man be faithful with whatever he has been given. “ Author Unknown

Our Bible study these past weeks has been on the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5), one of which happens to be ‘faithfulness’.  If we live by the spirit then we should also walk by the spirit.  I definitely need to work on being more faithful.  This does not necessarily mean that I’ll be more prudent in keeping up my blog.  I could promise I will but I probably wouldn’t succeed.  After all, “I am not called to be successful but I am called to be faithful.”  Man, I wish I could take credit for that last line.  Thank you, Mother Teresa for those very wise words.

Fruits of the Spirit

The weather outside is frightful and 'tiz the season of holiday stress but if we focus on the reason for the season - Jesus - and remember why he came to this earth, to set us free from our sin, the holiday will seem a whole lot less stressful and more of a time to be grateful and thankful.  

 This is truly a time for believers to stand firm and not to be subject again to the yoke of slavery.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness, what better time to show the fruits of the Spirit then the holidays, and as far as the weather goes....since I've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!  Did I say snow?  I meant let the sun/son shine and shine and shine!

A lot to be thankful for...

Thanksgiving seems to get lost somewhere between Halloween and Christmas and that’s a shame, because it truly is a time for us to reflect on God and all that He has given us.

What if God wouldn’t take the time to bless us today because we didn’t take the time thank Him yesterday? What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we choose not to follow Him today? What if we never saw another flower bloom because we complained about the rain?

Life is filled with blessings my friends, many things to be thankful for not only on Thanksgiving, but every single day.

Let’s purpose us in our hearts this day to thank Him for today, to rejoice in it, to recognize that this is His day, and to be mindful of His Word. What if God took away His message because we failed to read it and to listen? I, for one, am thankful for His Word that we live in a country that allows us freedom of religion, that the doors of our churches are open to receive us in love.

During this time of “Thanksgiving” let us remember to love one another and to care for others in need, to be thankful that God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we answer His call for service, that He doesn’t meet our needs the way we give Him our lives. Giving thanks is what Thanksgiving is really all about, let’s start by thanking Him for the cross.

(This article first appeared in Crossroads Newspaper Nov. 2001)

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, not just because it's a great feast and time to be with family but because it's a time to gather your thoughts, to really think about those things you have in your life that you are thankful more.  Every day God showers us with His blessings and His love.

Throughout the month of November, several people on Face Book are daily listing things they are 'thankful' for.  The Bible is filled with scriptures that talk about giving thanks. 

It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to His name, to declare His loving kindness in the morning and his faithfulness by night.  He is my rock and my salvation and that is something to be thankful for.