"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." ~Solomon
Eternity. I think of it as a spiritual river flowing through the ages, flooding the universe and dropped into the hearts of men. No wonder Solomon says elsewhere to "Gaurd your heart. It is the wellspring of life." Like a river absorbs a droplet, eternity encompasses the entire timeline of humanity. Eternity touches the world at our hearts. Eternity is set in my heart. AWESOME! How beautiful is that?
""Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." ~Jesus
Together those streams become a raging river. Alone those steams water thirsty lands. Meditating on the properties of water, while keeping in mind that God's invisible qualities can be clearly seen by what has been made, has been a joyful waterslide! It's raining again...
Today, I'm praying that the thirsty will go to Jesus and drink!
Friday, February 22, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Final Foot Washing
"Now that I , your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet." ~Jesus
This always reminds me of being allowed to work alongside a hospice nurse to wash the feet of an elderly friend of mine just before she passed through the veil into glory. She was fragile and her skin was translucent and dry as parchment. I knew that touching her brought pain and I so desperately didn't want to hurt her. I lifted her leg and drew the washcloth gently across her foot. She kept jerking her foot back over and over again. I looked with pleading eyes at the hospice nurse, certain I was doing more harm than good. "Oh, I'm soooo sorry I'm hurting you!" I cried. She chuckled softly, "You're not hurting me, child! You're tickling me!" We burst into giggles. Leave it to me to tickle someone on thier deathbed... sheesh.
"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." ~Jesus
This always reminds me of being allowed to work alongside a hospice nurse to wash the feet of an elderly friend of mine just before she passed through the veil into glory. She was fragile and her skin was translucent and dry as parchment. I knew that touching her brought pain and I so desperately didn't want to hurt her. I lifted her leg and drew the washcloth gently across her foot. She kept jerking her foot back over and over again. I looked with pleading eyes at the hospice nurse, certain I was doing more harm than good. "Oh, I'm soooo sorry I'm hurting you!" I cried. She chuckled softly, "You're not hurting me, child! You're tickling me!" We burst into giggles. Leave it to me to tickle someone on thier deathbed... sheesh.
"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." ~Jesus
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Urban Renewal
"When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site." ~Ezra
Imagine a group of 42,360 people with 7,337 servants and 200 singers come riding into town on 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys! These were people that had been captives in Babylon for 70 years. They had counted the years until they could return to the land of thier fathers and now they were there! They set to work right away. I love to think about the revitalizing effect that these people had on a desolate, poverty-stricken city.
The sounds of carpenters, singers and joy returned to the streets. They traded with thier neighbors to get building materials and set up and worked out plans for the reconstruction. The city was having new life breathed into it and it vibrated with activity. It thrills me to think of the effect this would have on the children of Jersalem!
"No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away." ~Ezra
Praying for all those working hard today to make the world a brighter place!
Imagine a group of 42,360 people with 7,337 servants and 200 singers come riding into town on 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys! These were people that had been captives in Babylon for 70 years. They had counted the years until they could return to the land of thier fathers and now they were there! They set to work right away. I love to think about the revitalizing effect that these people had on a desolate, poverty-stricken city.
The sounds of carpenters, singers and joy returned to the streets. They traded with thier neighbors to get building materials and set up and worked out plans for the reconstruction. The city was having new life breathed into it and it vibrated with activity. It thrills me to think of the effect this would have on the children of Jersalem!
"No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away." ~Ezra
Praying for all those working hard today to make the world a brighter place!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Thirsty Kids
"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." ~Deuteronomy 6:6,7
God's commandments are to be upon our hearts, not just on plaques or monuments or even t-shirts but in thoughts and speech. Thinking about the scriptures, talking about the implications and sharing revelations freely with children is a gift. The next generation is thirsty for living water.
I've had a scripture board for over twenty years now. If something caught my attention while I was doing my daily reading, I would write the scripture on the board. It amazed me to see how many times the people coming in and out of my house would ask me about it. I had some really deep conversations with eight-year-olds and extremely spirited conversations with sixteen-year-olds. Each one contributed to my deeper understanding of who Jesus is and I'd fall in love with Him all over again.
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
God's commandments are to be upon our hearts, not just on plaques or monuments or even t-shirts but in thoughts and speech. Thinking about the scriptures, talking about the implications and sharing revelations freely with children is a gift. The next generation is thirsty for living water.
I've had a scripture board for over twenty years now. If something caught my attention while I was doing my daily reading, I would write the scripture on the board. It amazed me to see how many times the people coming in and out of my house would ask me about it. I had some really deep conversations with eight-year-olds and extremely spirited conversations with sixteen-year-olds. Each one contributed to my deeper understanding of who Jesus is and I'd fall in love with Him all over again.
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
Monday, February 18, 2013
Parent Pride
"Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of thier children." ~Solomon
Parents are the pride of their children. Hmmm... I started to examine the times in my life when my children expressed pride in thier father and I. It took me back to thier kindergarten pictures. I was always drawn dressed in a puffy sleeved princess gown with high heels and a crown. Everyone was told I was the prettiest Mom in the whooooole world. Makes me smile.
One day trudging through the woods as a family, my husband was pushing over rotted out trees to make the path safe for the kids to play. He must've pushed over seven big trees like they were styrofoam. The children watched in awe. "Push this one over, Dad!" my son said with enthusiasm. He had his little hand on a healthy, 200-year-old, cedar tree. My husband backed up and looked at it thoughtfully, stroked his beard and said, "Naah, Kevin, I want that one there." Everyone was told, "My Dad is the strongest man in the world."
On a thirty-six hour train ride with the three kids ages five and under, everyone was told that "My Dad is building a house as big as that mountain! My Mom grows roses, she has a red one for the blood of Christ, a white one for His purity, a purple one for His royality, and a Peace one, well, you know, for the peace that Jesus gives."
My children have children now. I think I'll plant a rose garden and put on my crown.
Parents are the pride of their children. Hmmm... I started to examine the times in my life when my children expressed pride in thier father and I. It took me back to thier kindergarten pictures. I was always drawn dressed in a puffy sleeved princess gown with high heels and a crown. Everyone was told I was the prettiest Mom in the whooooole world. Makes me smile.
One day trudging through the woods as a family, my husband was pushing over rotted out trees to make the path safe for the kids to play. He must've pushed over seven big trees like they were styrofoam. The children watched in awe. "Push this one over, Dad!" my son said with enthusiasm. He had his little hand on a healthy, 200-year-old, cedar tree. My husband backed up and looked at it thoughtfully, stroked his beard and said, "Naah, Kevin, I want that one there." Everyone was told, "My Dad is the strongest man in the world."
On a thirty-six hour train ride with the three kids ages five and under, everyone was told that "My Dad is building a house as big as that mountain! My Mom grows roses, she has a red one for the blood of Christ, a white one for His purity, a purple one for His royality, and a Peace one, well, you know, for the peace that Jesus gives."
My children have children now. I think I'll plant a rose garden and put on my crown.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Reflecting on Light
"You are the light of the world." ~Jesus
Well, Jesus says I'm the light of the world. Nice! Being who I am, I wanted to know just what that meant. I don't want to miss out on any of the benefits of being light, you know. I began to meditate on the properties of light.
Light dispels darkness. It is the presense of all color. It illuminates everything in it's path and reveals what's in the darkness without prejudice or partiality. It makes things sparkle without drawing attention to itself. Light draws everything from bugs to weary travellers to itself. Light is eternal.
Together we are a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Seperately we are single lamps placed on stands to light the house.
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." ~Jesus
Today, I'm so grateful for eyes that were made to see light!
Well, Jesus says I'm the light of the world. Nice! Being who I am, I wanted to know just what that meant. I don't want to miss out on any of the benefits of being light, you know. I began to meditate on the properties of light.
Light dispels darkness. It is the presense of all color. It illuminates everything in it's path and reveals what's in the darkness without prejudice or partiality. It makes things sparkle without drawing attention to itself. Light draws everything from bugs to weary travellers to itself. Light is eternal.
Together we are a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Seperately we are single lamps placed on stands to light the house.
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." ~Jesus
Today, I'm so grateful for eyes that were made to see light!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Thinning Food
"He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate- bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart." ~David, King of Israel
There is something spiritual about being able to walk out your back door and pick a fresh salad straight off the land. I marvel at the way our bodies are designed to work and feel a kinship with centuries of humanity when I'm working in the garden for food.
The most painful part of cultivating food for me is thinning the rows to get plants the correct distance apart. It hurts me to pull a taller, healthier plant and choose a smaller one to continue growing simply because it grew too close to it's neighbor or not where it belonged. I know it has to be done. I've been compassionate before and had some pretty twisted carrots! After the holocaust, the garden always looks weak and unhealthy to me but it's then that I know I can look forward to the harvest. I wonder if Eve ever felt that way...
Today, I'm thanking God for wine that gladdens my heart, oil that makes my face shine and the bread that sustains me!
There is something spiritual about being able to walk out your back door and pick a fresh salad straight off the land. I marvel at the way our bodies are designed to work and feel a kinship with centuries of humanity when I'm working in the garden for food.
The most painful part of cultivating food for me is thinning the rows to get plants the correct distance apart. It hurts me to pull a taller, healthier plant and choose a smaller one to continue growing simply because it grew too close to it's neighbor or not where it belonged. I know it has to be done. I've been compassionate before and had some pretty twisted carrots! After the holocaust, the garden always looks weak and unhealthy to me but it's then that I know I can look forward to the harvest. I wonder if Eve ever felt that way...
Today, I'm thanking God for wine that gladdens my heart, oil that makes my face shine and the bread that sustains me!
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