Bicycle Girls

The menu for my brunch today-

Chinese Chicken Salad

·        Grilled chicken breast strips

·        Red cabbage, green cabbage, romaine lettuce

·        Toasted slivered almonds

·        Mandarin oranges

·        Green onions

·        Chinese chicken salad dressing

Veggie Egg Dish – Swiss cheese with green onions and green squash (right from my own garden)

Ham and Cheddar Cheese Egg Dish

Cranberry and Orange Scones- with marmalade and Mascarpone cream cheese

Fresh Whole Strawberries (from the truck down the street/right from the farm)

French Bread and Butter

And of course Brownies

Recently I was invited to a ladies luncheon as part of a women’s ministry called “His Flower Girls”. The purpose of the ministry is to bless women with inspiration on incorporating our faith into the warm, loving atmosphere of our homes. I was one of seven ladies in attendance. I left the afternoon inspired to open my home and bless some of my friends.

So, today’s luncheon was a result of that inspiration. As I was putting my list together I prayed that God would put on my mind the women He desired to be there. My final list included eleven women. A couple could not make it because they were out of town. One friend called to cancel the evening before and one friend called to accept the invitation the morning of the brunch. God knew exactly how many women would fit perfectly at my table, including me. There were nine of us in all.  We all sat around the big table enjoying our meal, visiting and getting to know each other. You see the women I invited were not well acquainted with each other. It was kind of a random group. We all have our Bible study group in common which meets every Wednesday, but there are usually 150-200 in attendance, so it is easy to not know everyone. This group was specially put together by God. He knew of some common denominators among the ladies. He knew they would be able to share, encourage and bless each other in amazing ways. As I was hurrying around in preparation this morning I stopped to take a moment with God. I asked Him to bless each woman, that they would feel welcome, that the food would be yummy and that He would attend too. Party planning (and all planning) goes so much better when God is invited.

Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

 As you see in the picture, each place setting has a card with a bicycle on it. I love bicycles and all the fun and carefree-ness they represent. I gave each friend a card and had them write down some of the summer words that bring happy thoughts and memories for them. They each took this home to be a reminder. We named ourselves the Bicycle Girls Club, or the Biker Chicks (not sure yet). J

Heavenly Handiwork

A few nights ago I was awoken from my sleep at exactly 2:12 AM. I like complete silence, except for the quiet hum of a fan when I am sleeping. Otherwise I tend to hear every little sound. This particular night as I was sleeping, I suddenly heard the soft, furry feet of my dog rustling and wandering around at the foot of my bed. Ordinarily he sleeps in his comfy bed in the hallway. He used to sleep in our room years ago, that is until he began snoring; so now he sleeps in the hall. My dog is a beagle, which is a relative of the hound dog;

and so it seems that his nose had gone into overtime. I’m assuming he got a whiff of coyotes going by. The scent must have drifted in through my bedroom window and out into the hall where it caught his attention. Soon he was standing below my window inhaling very loudly. I went to calm him and put him back to bed, but then thought I should take him outside for a quick break first. Knowing there may be coyotes nearby I put his leash on so he couldn't wander away from my side. I took him into the backyard and stood there waiting for him in the pitch black night. I glanced up into the sky and saw a million little lights twinkling above me. It was absolutely beautiful and comforting too. The sky was perfectly clear and the night was still, except for me and my dog. As I stood there gazing at the stars I was given the amazing reminder that our God never sleeps. He is always watching over me and protecting me. He even left a million breath-taking nightlights on for me that night. I feel very blessed to have witnessed such an awesome part of creation that I usually sleep right through.

Thank you God for getting me out of bed to enjoy your heavenly handiwork and for reminding me that I am safe in you continual care.

Psalm 19:1, The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays his handiwork.

Psalm 4:8, I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Summertime

Today is July 12^th, the middle of summer. For me summertime evokes feelings and memories of a certain carefree time. The days are longer as the sun rises into the sky earlier in the morning and sets down later each night, allowing for more opportunity to spend time on the people and things we really enjoy. Our schedules are more relaxed, as is our attitude. The bright sunny mornings encourage us to pop out of bed and greet the day with a smile. The cool evenings invite us to linger outdoors and take in the beauty found all around us. When I think of summertime certain words come into my mind. They bring a smile to my face and lightness to my heart. An example of some of my words, which you may share are- sprinklers, park, swimming, popsicles, bicycles, cartwheels, watermelon, strawberries, green grass, slip ‘n’ slide, swings, beach, the smell of Coppertone sunscreen, birds chirping, picnics, books, laughing, ice cream truck, iced tea, lemonade, grandma’s house, and the stars at night. What we choose to think about has an effect on our mindset towards life. Our attitudes set the course of our day. We have the option to choose joy each day and each moment. I encourage you to make a mental note or jot down on paper some word pictures that will bring joy to your day. Each day is a gift from the LORD. Let’s offer up a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Him as we choose joy today.

Psalm 65:8, The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy.

Child-like Faith

Remember when as a kid, in child-like faith you would climb aboard a friend’s handlebars and fearlessly let them give you a ride around town. Your hands gripping the bars beneath you; your legs dangling freely. Now as an adult, in need of the feeling of control and calculation, we carefully climb aboard our own comfortable bicycle seat, steering the direction of where we want to go. This past 4^th of July weekend I witnessed one of the potential perils of trusting someone else as we sit upon the handlebars. Two girls joyfully riding along approached a stop light at a busy intersection on Coronado Island. The teenage girls seemed to be going straight through the intersection despite the many cars around; when at the very last second the bicycle came to an abrupt stop, sending the handlebar rider flying off. Fortunately she was unharmed as they were both laughing at the sudden event. It is precisely for this reason that we prefer to be in command of our own bicycle ride and rely on our own decision making. It just feels like the safer choice and often times this is true… with one major exception.

Jesus tells us to come to Him with child-like faith. Imagine that carefree, trusting faith that enabled you to climb onto the handlebars and trust your friend to drive you around. Remember the joy and laughter that you shared as you navigated the town together. This is what Jesus wants to share with us. How I want to climb on the handlebars and let Jesus pedal; He does the hard work as we explore together. Jesus never stops short, sending me flying through the air into oncoming traffic. I pray for child-like faith to jump onto the handlebars today!

Luke 18:15-17   People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.