For Keeps

 

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

There are many things that can worry and upset us; troubles, hardships, and like Martha even busyness. I can so often identify with Martha and her misplaced focus. “Tracy, Tracy, you are worried and upset about many things. Things that seem good and important at that instance, but have no real lasting value. Oh, to be like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. Soaking in His presence, letting Him revitalize my soul.  When I make time with Him my number one priority I am then able to tend to the things of this world with a peaceful, proper perspective. Time with Jesus is always a wise investment, which holds eternal value. The treasures that come from these encounters will not be taken from us; they are for keeps.

Doggone Good

                                                        

 God is so good!!! Earlier this summer we were dog sitting a relatives’ black Lab puppy. She was a big cuddly, bundle of energy. She was a wonderful, sweet, floppy addition to our family for about five weeks. Over the course of her time with us I would take her on daily walks through the neighborhood. She was a pure delight to watch as she discovered new sights, smells and sounds at every turn. Everything was a curious adventure. Most days as we walked I would laugh to myself and sometimes out loud at her silliness. One day however made me cry instead of laugh. We were minding our own business strolling down the sidewalk enjoying our evening together, when all of a sudden a vicious, wildly ferocious Chihuahua (yes, I said Chihuahua) came charging at us. It was yapping like crazy and nipping at the sweet innocent Lab. The Lab just looked at her very bewildered, not understanding why they couldn’t be friends. To defend my dog I bent over and scooped up this out of control beast. I held it in my outstretched arms facing away from my body and face. All the while it continued in its’ frenzy. I saw two men up the sidewalk a couple of houses away watching the whole situation. I tried to tell them that this dog was terrorizing us but they just smiled and went on with their conversation. I turned and started walking down the street in the direction of my own house which was quite a distance away. I couldn’t let the dog down or it would continue biting mine.  So, I stopped and I went to the gate of the first house I saw and slid the little brute through the bars of someone’s gate. Well, unbeknownst to me it was the house of one of those men. He came over immediately, completely outraged that I would possibly put a dog into his yard. I tried to explain, 1- I didn’t know it was his yard, 2- I was going to come back for it and help find its home once I had gotten my dog to safety. He wanted to hear none of my explanation, so he opened the gate let the monster out and it began biting his own little dog. I asked him how he liked it. The Chihuahua ran away and I began my very emotional walk home. I was so angry at his heartlessness and also frustration at my motives being misunderstood.

Over the past few months I have only passed by this man a couple of times. One of the times I accidentally said hi to him (because I usually say hi to everyone I pass). I had been praying for a chance at restoration, and forgiveness in my own heart towards him.

Well, today was that day. God is so extremely good. He desires reconciliation for all relationships. After all He is the Ultimate Reconciler. He reconciled us to Himself even though we didn’t deserve His grace. This morning as I turned the corner to enter my neighborhood I encountered a couple of women trying to entice and corral a little dog who had wandered into the rather busy intersection. I pulled over and joined in the effort. We got him away from the intersection and onto a side street which was still pretty busy. One lady got out her dog bones to lure the dog. The dog was very skittish and would bolt anytime we got too near. Soon another neighbor stopped to help with his leash in hand. He did get close enough to get a glimpse of the dog’s name. Then yet another couple tried to use their own dog as friendly bait. Still the dog wouldn’t come close enough for anyone to grab. I was praying that God would calm the dog and cause him to come to anyone us of. Suddenly it dawned on me that I might know which house he belonged to. I hopped in my car and drove up the street and around the corner and parked in front of the house where I had had my previous encounter just months earlier.  I walked up to the porch, knocked on the door and a woman answered. I asked if she had a dog with the same name as the one wandering around.  Indeed she did. It was her dog!! It was the dog of the man I had been avoiding, yet praying for. I told them to hurry and follow me to where their dog was at. We rounded the corner, they got out of the car, and their dog ran immediately to them. He was now safe and sound!!! Relief was felt by everyone involved. The couple thanked us all. The woman came up to my car window followed by her husband and asked how I knew it was their dog. I told her that I had remembered seeing a small dog at their house before and thought it might belong to them.  I didn’t  make any mention of the previous encounter. That was in the past. But, I am pretty sure I saw recognition in the husband’s eyes as he gratefully smiled at me. Only God could orchestrate reconciliation in such a way.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19, All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

 

Two Lessons

This semester I am in a Bible study on the “Sermon on the Mount”, which is a message directly from Jesus to His followers. Throughout the Sermon we find many life lessons, some told as parables (a story used to illustrate a spiritual truth).  This weekend I had the pleasure of experiencing two of these parables all in the course of about two hours.

I look forward to Saturday mornings when I don’t have to hurry out of bed, but can take my time and maybe even sleep till 8:00 or so. This Saturday I was woken up by the next door neighbor’s dog at 5:15. This happens sometimes on weekdays and I usually have to get out of bed at 6:00 so it doesn’t leave much time for falling back to sleep. This particular morning I was able to fall back to sleep for another couple of hours. I awoke at 7:30 to birds chirping outside my window and I continued to lay there enjoying the leisure of the morning. Well, about 7:40 I heard a lawn mower start up out in the front yard. I thought “Oh no, someone’s gardener is here very early”. Maybe someone (me) should tell them they shouldn’t start before 8:00 am. Maybe someone (me) should let the owners of the house know that it’s too early.” Finally the mower stopped and it was quiet again. Just as I was beginning to relax in peace again I heard the mower start up again… in my own back yard!!!  Much to my surprise it was our gardener making such a ruckus at such an early hour!!! My husband had decided to try out a new gardener and this was the time he could come on this visit. I am very happy to report that he will usually be coming later in the afternoon.

So this parable reminded/ convicted me of the one Jesus told on “Taking the log out of my own eye, before removing the speck of dirt from someone else’s eye.” In other words be careful of pointing your finger at someone else, there are always three fingers pointing back at you.

Matthew 7:4-5, How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

My second encounter with another of Jesus’ parables happened as my husband and I were driving around looking at a few garage sales. Once in a while we do this just to spend time together.  This story is a little more somber than the first. We came to a house that was having an estate sale, which neither of us had ever been to. I went inside to take a quick peek around. I didn’t stay inside long at all.  I was overcome with sadness as glanced around the kitchen and family room of this little home. It was filled with dishes, trinkets, and lots of other stuff. These things had meant something to someone. I saw the couch and the chairs set up in the family room and pictured the family that may have filled the space within these walls with love. I could tell that this had been someone’s home until recently. My husband tried to reassure me that maybe the family were just selling everything and moving to Hawaii. From the way things looked I don’t think that was the case. I hope that the person that had lived there is enjoying a new home in heaven with Jesus now. In heaven we don’t need all of our stuff, God will provide everything we need in our new home.

Matthew 6:19-21,  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Harvester

Growing up I would sometimes hear people mention the meaning of their names. Some of them had beautiful meanings that I kind of envied. You see the meaning of my name is “Harvester”, and when I was younger I thought it sounded dull and boring. Over the years I have come to greatly appreciate the meaning of my name.

For many years I have tried my hand at growing oranges and lemons, and each year I would get so excited as the white blossoms turned into little green balls of baby fruit.  These were supposed to ripen to full size fruit, but mine would inevitably all fall off to the ground below.  I am happy to report that my green thumb seems to be doing much better this year. I have four fruit trees which are all doing well this season. My nectarine tree produced a large bowl of juicy, sweet fruit for me this summer. I have expanded my citrus to include a mandarin tree as well as the orange and lemon. I am very pleased to say that the little green fruits have stayed on their branches and are actually growing into what I hope to be an abundant harvest of healthy, yummy treats. My greatest feat this summer was the overflowing, unending supply of tomatoes and green squash. We have a Topsy Turvy tomato plant hanger that has provided me with enough tomatoes for big bowls of fresh salsa and Crockpots full of homemade pasta sauce.  The green squash seem to be from the Jurassic period. I have never seen such huge squash in all my life, and they just keep on coming. I use them in soups, with pasta, in egg dishes, etc.

It seems that I am living up to my name and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Planting, watering and tending to the plants is very rewarding work. The time invested is well worth it. Watching the fruit grow, bringing in the harvest and enjoying the fruits of my labor is a wonderful blessing.

I have found though, that the best part of having the name “Harvester” is that as a child of God I am specifically called to be a “Harvester”, not of fruit but of people. God wants me and all of His followers to plants seeds of love with the message of Jesus to all people. It is wonderful to watch as lives are transformed as they turn to God and He makes their lives blossom into something beautiful. I am blessed to be called His harvester.

Matthew 9:37-38, Then Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

James 3:18, Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

 

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.