You are Very Good

Uniquely Me 

When God made the birds and fish He said, “It is good.”  When He made the animals of the land, He said, “It is good.” When he placed the stars, moon and sun in the heavens, He said, “It is good.” When He made you a smile of great pleasure spread across His face, and He said, “It is very good.” God doesn’t make mistakes. He made you just the way you are; special and unique, unlike anyone else. Let God’s words sink into your heart and mind, and give you encouragement and confidence to be uniquely YOU today.

Genesis 1:31, Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very  good!

Fully Submersed

For most folks the summer season begins with Memorial Day Weekend. Summer is punctuated with fireworks on the Fourth of July; it is filled with the aroma of hamburgers and hot dogs.

As for me, I don’t really feel that it is summer until I have fully submersed myself in the waves of the ocean. Today was that day, the day that summer truly came alive for me. I set aside the day and ventured to the beach with my lovely aunt. We were greeted by a bright blue sky, and sparkling turquoise waters, which formed into white rolling waves. The warm and grainy sand clung between my toes. The sun warmed my skin till the ocean called my name, and beckoned me to take a dip. On a beautiful day like this a dip would never be enough. I love the feel of the waves washing completely over me, from the tip of my toes, to the top of my head. The cool, salty water surprises and refreshes me as I plunge completely in. The waves roll in one after another. I am filled with delight as wave after wave crashes over me, taking my breath away each time.

As I look at the waves, as I feel them crash over me, I am reminded of God’s amazing love for me. There is actually a song that runs through my mind; the lyrics begin, “As Your love In wave after wave, Crashes over me, crashes over me”.

God’s love is relentless, it is powerful, it refreshes our soul, it is endless, it makes us brave, and it takes away our breath.

Come into His Presence today and let Him wash you in His love.

Ephesians 3:16-21, ¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

 Here is the link to the song.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hi-VMxT6fc

Respite for My Soul

As I sit here this morning with the sun rising to take its place in the sky, I tune my ears to hear the chirps of the birds in the trees above me, I hear the buzzing of the bees in the bushes nearby; my eyes capture the slight swaying of the leaves on the trees as an almost undetectable breeze passes by. Some of the birds, with their bright red breasts have hopped down to nibble on seeds that have fallen to the ground. What a wonderful moment of solitude I find here, what a respite for my soul.

From all of my blog posts it may sound as if have all the time in the world to sit around, relax and contemplate things. Actually, my life is very full, busy and active just like most people. But, in order for me to function at my best in each of the activities on my plate, I must also make time to recharge my mind and soul.

Without these precious moments stolen away for my well-being, I would start to run on empty and begin to sputter and stall. Just like a car, we’ve got to refuel, and once refueled we can get back on the busy road and find enjoyment in that too. So I find that quiet times in my garden, before the day begins, are like the gas station for my soul. Fill ‘er up, and send me on my way!

Psalm 23, “God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to Your Word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.”

Joy is for Keeps

Joy is gift from God.  Joy is a gift we are meant to keep. People and situations will come along and try to steal our joy. Like a bandana-masked train robber they interrupt our lovely train ride; with gun in hand they command, “Stick ‘em up, and give me all your joy”. The joy belongs to you, and to me! Don’t let them take it away; we can share our joy, but don’t let them take it away.

Psalm 21:6, You have endowed him with eternal blessings

    and given him the joy of your presence.

Rose Smeller

Through the years my Dad has passed down more than a few qualities to me. For as long as I can remember my Dad has had a great appreciation for the beauty of nature. He is an artist by profession, but it is his personal art which best portrays and captures this appreciation; He paints, he sketches he photographs. His art captures the majesty of creation at its best; the sky with its’ varying colors on display, the clouds floating effortlessly by, the sea with its’ changing emotions of gentleness and power, the desert landscapes both serene and harsh at the same time. With the eye of an artist he sees the big picture and notices the tiniest detail. He is the one who taught me to stop and smell the roses.

When I was a young girl the neighbors across the street from my grandparents had a yard full of rose bushes. They were beautiful, every color imaginable filled their front yard. One afternoon my Dad took me across the street to their yard and photographed me standing amongst the blooms. He took some of me admiring the roses, some of me smelling the roses.  So you see, he really did hand down an appreciation of roses and all flowers for that matter.

Another thing my Dad passed down to me is my fast-paced walking stride. He is a very fast walker and as a little girl, with my little legs, I would do my best to keep up with him. As a result of this training I’m still a fast walker, but I also take time to stop and smell the roses.  I walk around the block almost every day, and as I approach the yards with roses in front, I purposefully bring my feet to a halt, lean over, and deeply breathe in the fragrance of the bloom, letting the sweetness bring me to my senses, helping me appreciate my surroundings. Let’s face it, life is not always full of roses, so when we do encounter them along the way we need to be sure to enjoy them.

Song of Solomon 2:11-12, Look, the winter is past,
    and the rains are over and gone.
¹² The flowers are springing up,
    the season of singing birds has come…

In the fast pace of everyday life we must be mindful to purposefully pause and take in our surroundings, take time to stop and smell the roses. I am a rose smeller, yep that’s me!

For Everyday

Following up on This Day and The Wisest Way, I believe there are two things of utmost importance for every day that we are given…

Be present in the moment.

Wear and attitude of love and grace.

1 John 4:7, ⁷ Dear friends, let us continue to love one another,

 for love comes from God.

The Wisest Way

 Yesterday I was blessed with a “This Day”, and as I sit here enjoying the gorgeous summer morning I am hit with the realization I have been given yet another this Day.  Another day full of opportunity and possibility. How will I go about utilizing this day in the wisest way? First, I will remember that this day is a gift, not to be taken for granted.

James 4:13-15,  Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

How reassuring to know that my life is in God’s hands. I am not going to boast about my plans for today or tomorrow. I know God’s plans are far better than anything I can dream up. I don’t look to the stars for guidance, I look to the Maker of the stars. He is the One who has given me this day, so I bet it would be a good idea to seek His will and direction for it. I want His wisdom! How do I go about getting it? Just ask Him!!! Yes, it’s that easy!!

 James 1:5 says, “if any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God, who gives generously to all…”

All wisdom, knowledge and understanding needed for a life well-lived is found in the LORD, and He wants to give me that info. As I seek after His wisdom, store up us His Word and His commands in my heart and mind, and actually apply it to my life,  I can get into bed at night knowing I lived my this day in the wisest way, His way.

True wisdom is more than just knowing the wisest thing to do, it’s acting on that knowledge.

This Day

Each new day I have is a gift from God, waiting to be opened and appreciated. I need to be intentional with how I use this gift. As I face this day it is essential that I remember to focus my attention on today, not worrying about tomorrow or fretting about the past. Worrying and fretting just steal the precious resource of time today.

Scripture says that, “This is the day the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Scripture gives us countless guidelines for making the most of our time, but here are just three of the basics-

1-      Focus on making the most of this day, rejoicing in this day and the gift that it is. Even though life can be quite difficult we can still rejoice in this day by remembering that God is good, He is faithful and He is with us. This day holds the possibility of change and the promise of hope.

2-      Don’t waste the gift of this day, this precious gift of time, by letting it slip away unused and unappreciated. We cannot get a day back once it has passed.

3-      Be careful and mindful of how we use and spend our time. As this day begins and we get to choose how to thoughtfully invest our time, and are wise to consider, “is this a good use of this gift of today, is it beneficial, is this wise, it a blessing to me or others and does it honor God?”

We never know what the next day holds, we only have the gift of today. So let’s accept it, open it, appreciate it, and use it to the fullest.

Ephesians 5:15-16, Be careful then how you live, making the most of every opportunity.”

Refreshment

California is in a season of drought and residents are asked to cut back on their water use in every possible way. As you drive the streets of our neighborhood the cut in water use becomes evident rather quickly; the lawns which use to be lush and green, now have large brown, crunchy, dry spots. A brown lawn is now the pride of the neighborhood, representing that you are you doing your part to conserve.

This morning I came out into the backyard to take in the cool fresh air before the heat overtook the day. As I stood their surveying the hills and sky around me I felt the delightful sprinkle of tiny wet drops landing on my skin. It wasn’t much in the way of precipitation but I appreciated every little bit. I could hear the birds chirping and if I listened hard enough I’m sure I would hear the parched hills exhaling a sigh “ahhh” as they absorbed whatever moisture fell on them, providing a bit of necessary refreshment.

I can totally relate to the hills that have been deprived of some much needed water. Just as the land needs constant watering in order to be its best; lush, green, vibrant, and growing strong, I need time alone with the LORD to get my necessary refreshment. To be my best, to feel vibrant and alive, and to keep growing in the right direction; I need time in God’s Word (the Bible), I need special, quiet time to talk with Him alone (just Him and me, heart to heart), I need time with girlfriends who share my love of the Lord (we can encourage each other). I exhale a sigh of “ahhh” after these precious times of refreshment, they water my very soul. Without these vital times of refreshment I quickly grow parched and my attitude can get “crunchy” like the dry brown lawn. Just like crunchy, brown grass is no fun to walk on, a crunchy brown attitude is no fun for anyone.

 It may be a good idea for me to get a hat to wear as a caution to others during my times with the LORD, but Instead of writing “Do Not Disturb” across the front it would say “Soul Watering in Progress”.

Jeremiah 17:7-8,  “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸ They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”