Saturday Silly – June 25, 2022

My goodness, this economy thing is really throwing us for a loop! I have to say, though, I really admire the resilience and creativity of some of you folks out there. I passed by a little group of small businesses just the other day, and was really inspired by their courage and determination. I’m one of those “keep it small and manageable” business persons myself.

One of the little businesses there isn’t open yet. I think it’s supposed to be a little bar. The sign over the door read, “Pool Whiskey.” Now, I’m pretty creative when it comes to marketing, but that raised my eyebrows a little bit. I mean, really?!! Who in the heck wants to drink whiskey that people have been swimming in?!

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Can’t Help But Tremble

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 114. It’s a short one, but a great reminder of God’s power, love, and sovereignty.

“When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.” (ESV)

As I’m writing this, I’m thinking of my morning coffee in the park today. Some of the birds were following one another around and squawking, holding their beaks open, and wanting to be fed by the other. At first, I kind of laughed, and said, “Mama says you’re old enough to feed yourself now.” But then, I remembered those times when my husband would feed me a bite of his meal, or vice versa. Feeding one another is a sign of affection between couples, and family members. The impact of that truth, that family relationships are also that emotional and tender, even among birds, caused that sort of trembling within me. The presence of God, of His character, His traits, is in every living thing. I think we all too often miss those awesome moments of the revelation of God in the world around us because we don’t prepare our hearts to see Him there. I know that every time He reveals Himself to me this way, I cannot help but tremble.

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Glory In Everything & Every Way

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that the glory of the Lord is the beauty of His Character. It is this, reflected to our surroundings, that gives everything a dazzling beauty. It brings glory to everything, in every way.

Some time ago, the Lord put into my heart to share my experiences and thoughts from this little devotional (God Calling) in a blog. With that, He led me to a scripture. (Matthew 10:8) “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” That’s why I have this blog; that’s why I post to it daily-and will, until He says it’s a wrap. I can’t even begin to tell you how much this blog has helped my growth as a Child of God! I can’t believe the difference between where I used to be in my faith, and where I am now. I still have some struggles, but all in all, I’m more and more into the Lord, and striving to be more and more like the Lord, than I am like the world.

There was another time, as I found myself in that spiritual desert, that He led me to this scripture: “I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.” The closer I got to Him, the more flowed in, and through me. I began to write poetry, songs, stories…I got my creative spirit back, and began to design and to create recipes…I gloried more and more in everything I found to do, and in every way imaginable. My little conversations with some of the birds around town bring me such joy! They are just one way in which the beauty, love, and joy of the Lord are revealed to me. It’s a joy to wake up each day-even now, on the sidewalk. I hope this song will lift you and keep you soaring all day long. Thank you, Steven Curtis Chapman.

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Learning Restraint

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that there’s a time, a place, and a way. God, knows all; especially all hearts. We are told that His power to save increases as our understanding of His Salvation increases. He never forces Himself on anyone; never rushes in too soon to save us. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t want to help us. It simply means that we will be helped more by learning and doing ourselves. It’s the “hands on” learning experience that strengthens us; building up the confidence, or faith, we need in Him and in ourselves. Part of being a child of God, a parent, a friend, is exercising that same restraint.

We are reminded that God’s power is limited only by our lack of vision. This makes me think of Jesus and the man at the pool at Bethesda. When Jesus saw how long he’d been lying there like that, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6) There’s a powerful revelation in that; especially when we’re dealing with generational curses. We have to ask ourselves that same question.

There’s another statement Jesus made that comes to mind here. He said to a lame man that He had healed, “See, you are well.” (John 5:14 ESV) If you take the comma out of that sentence, you get this: See you are well. This has to do with vision. It has to do with a new horizon for you. Look forward to where you want to be (your horizon), and see yourself well, successful, etc. This is the transformation part of being saved. (Romans 12:12) We change our thinking and walk in the new ways. We don’t have to wait to walk in the new ways. God sees us as righteous, victorious, and glorious the instant we accept Jesus as our Lord, and become God’s children. However, restraint is also necessary here. We need to learn to wait on the Lord, and let Him lead us at times. We also need to keep in mind that He may withhold things until we are ready for them.

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Saturday Silly, September 26, 2020

I was on the bus recently, and passed a little place that reminded me of my drinking days. It also reminded me of an old friend. She had a real funny sense of humor…and it never failed; she always got me with it! Always!

One night, she and I were out and about, in a little town not far from Billings. We were looking for a place to have a drink and maybe shoot some pool. As we pulled up to a local bar there, my friend read the sign in their big front window, and said to me, “Crafty Beer Liquor? Wow! Wouldn’t it be cheaper if they just used bar mops? I mean, they’re a dollar a dozen. They have to pay that guy or girl $7.50 an hour to lick that beer up!”

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Blessed Assurance Is That Peace

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that we are to seek peace; to pursue it. We are told that blessed assurance, that calm, knowing that God is God, is what brings about true success. Only when we attain this calm, can true work be done, and body, mind, and soul be strengthened to achieve the victory.

Isaiah 32:17 tells us that “The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” (NKJV) This tells me that my work, as a child of God, is to seek peace in everything. It is to bring peace to all situations; inner peace and peace round about. This peace-making, bringing, and keeping, is righteousness. (Matt. 5:9) -“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.” This assurance is the result of a deep trust and certainty in God’s love, His promises, and His Word. This is that calm, the peace, that we need to fight for. This is the peace we must protect, at all costs. By that, I mean, sometimes you need to walk away from things, or even people, if they are destroying peace in your home, your life, your heart. I don’t mean just one or two events. I’m talking about someone who chooses this havoc wreaking as a way of life. That’s a coat you need to take off so you don’t drown in the pool kind of thing.

When we strive to bring about peace within, we are better equipped to establish and maintain peace in our surroundings, our relationships, our daily living. That’s why the commandment says, love your neighbor as yourself. It’s you first, then your neighbor and all else follows…often without struggle.

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Ever Upward…Always Higher

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that the law of the Kingdom of Heaven is progress. We are to strive to be better today than we were yesterday, to step up to the next level, to always reach a little higher.

As I read the message, I think back to school days. Clerical training, then on to Office Management training, on to Accounting, and so on, and so on. David, in Psalm 31:8, says, “You have not given me into the hands of the enemy, but you have set my feet in a spacious place.” I also think of Psalm 107:35 – “He turns a desert into pools of water, and a dry land into flowing springs.” When we don’t look forward, reach higher, strive for progress, for the next level, things can begin to get dry. They can become like a well that’s dried up. We can become like a dried up well. That’s not what God wants for us. “I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly,” said Jesus.

Progress isn’t as much about material wealth, as it is spiritual, intellectual, and emotional health. That is true wealth. When we have those things within us, we can manifest them outwardly in the form of effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, and yes, material wealth as well. We are always to look to the horizon. After all, we are just passing through. As we reach higher, we elevate, not only our own lives, but the lives of others.

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Saturday Silly – August 31, 2019

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A friend of mine has a daughter who just got her first apartment. Her daughter insisted on looking for and choosing her own place, without any help or “input” from mom and dad. My friends said that her daughter checked into about 50 places before she finally found the apartment she wanted. She said her daughter sent her this picture from the pool nearby. Thanking God this place is not in Las Vegas…LOL

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