Gathering Rubies

I remember crouching down on one knee, holding my arms out and coaxing my babies to walk toward me. My fingertips barely touching theirs as they wide-eyed looked at me with a bit of apprehension and a bit of excitement  tottering on their tiptoes. They usually trusted me enough to take at least one or two steps before plopping down on their diaper padded bottoms. I would clap my hands and say “yay” and they would wave their little arms around in the air so pleased with those first steps. It was always only a matter of days before they were walking on their own, getting more confident and bolder with each success.

I find we can be the same way. Can you remember when you first became a Christian? Many are on fire, ready to conquer the world and win over everyone they know and then some. Unlike the toddler learning to walk, the times of failure are more likely to cause us to quit instead of getting back up and trying again. Toddlers are determined to conquer walking; they seem to know there will be something new to explore with each step, some new treasure across the room to examine.

As adults we don’t like failure. We shouldn’t look at our efforts (when unsuccessful) to reach out to people as failures. Instead we should trust God just like our babies trusted us as we are coaxing them into our arms with those first few steps. We are gardeners. Like Paul and Apollos, we are only servants doing our everyday jobs. Each one of us can help germinate the same seed with our own individual talents, some planting and others watering, while remembering it is God who gives the increase.

I know it can be scary to invite our friends to church or even to have a conversation with them about Jesus. One of my fears is rejection. None of us like to be rejected. I also fear confrontations, what if they challenge me with something I can’t immediately answer. I guess those are legitimate fears, it helps to remember that it isn’t us they are rejecting, it is the opportunity to know Christ and the opportunity for a new life they are rejecting. And for the other fear; none of us will ever have all the answers, we can say, without shame, that “we don’t know” but we are willing to study to try and answer their questions. I believe in all situations where we want to bring others to Christ that God will give us the courage we need. I know for me I must put my fears away and truly desire that others have the same hope I have. The hope of spending eternity in heaven with God.

Luke 10:16 “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

I challenge all of us—-starting today, reach out to the lost. Invite your friends, your neighbors and strangers, invite them to church, to a get together with other Christians, to read the bible with you. Give all of them the same opportunity, the same grace, God has given us. Like a parent with their child, Jesus waits with outstretched arms.

Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? They are servants by whom you believed, even as the Lord has given to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. Neither is he who plants important, nor he who waters, but God, who gives the increase. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own work. We are God’s co-workers, and you are God’s garden. Also, you are God’s building, and according to God’s grace given to me as a wise builder, I have laid a foundation, and another builds upon it. But let each one be particular how he builds. No man can lay another foundation other than the one laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 3:5-11

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop — a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.” Matt 13:3-9

Are you up for the challenge?

Larry and I are celebrating our thirty-first wedding anniversary today. In a way it doesn’t seem possible and in other ways it seems like we have always been together. He is a VERY good man, a spiritual man and he has always put our family and our needs before his own. I know I have been blessed beyond measure! I never imagined I could have someone love me the way he does and I truly thank God for him.

The following poem is from Day Spring Cards. It is a beautiful poem and aptly describes our journey, and the best is yet to be…

Shared Lives

Two trees…
a white oak and a red oak…
grew side by side, so close
 that after many years,
their trunks had joined as one.

Yet each retained its
own limbs, bright leaves
and brown acorns.

Throughout the years,
these trees shared the warm
spring rains, the carefree days
of summer and the glory of
autumn. Their leaves changed
with the seasons, adding beauty
to the forest around them.

They also shared the harsh times…the bitter cold
when winter came and
iced their limbs and made them break…the springtime storms
when the wind would push and pull and twist their limbs, tearing
their leaves away.
They weathered these difficult times, relying upon their combined strength and
sure-foundation oneness.

Our lives together have been like these
trees—one in essence, separate in specialness…
each depending on the other…sharing the happy times,
lending strength in difficult times.

As we continue to grow together,
I look forward to the blossoming of our dreams…
rooted in God, united in love…
with branches reaching up to Heaven.
As wonderful as the past has been,
the best is yet to be.

The following is from one of my Daily Devotionals, Experiencing God Day-By-Day. It is a great reminder of how we let others influence how we feel and how we react. I have heard the saying and I have said it to others “Don’t let someone or some circumstance steal your joy”. It is easier said than done if we don’t remember where our joy comes from.

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:26

Your joy as a Christian should not depend on your circumstances. Joy comes from God, and therefore it cannot be affected by what is outside of you. Don’t be fooled by letting the actions of others determine your joy. True joy comes from knowing that God Himself lives within you and has fellowship with you, regardless of your environment. Real joy lies in the knowledge that holy God has completely forgiven you of every sin, and even now, He has a home prepared in heaven where you can spend eternity with Him (John 14:3). The circumstance of your life cannot change these truths!

Paul and Silas faced some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. They were falsely accused, arrested, and imprisoned. They were beaten and shackled in the darkest, coldest section of the prison. But they refused to allow their horrific situation to dampen their joy! They did not blame God for allowing these things to happen to them. Instead they praised Him for His goodness! In the darkness of the night, they prayed and they sang. God brought a miracle that released them from their chains, but perhaps the greater miracle was that His Holy Spirit could so fill them that even in their painful imprisonment they could overflow with joy!

Do not allow difficult events to cancel the joy of knowing you are a child of God. Choose to allow God’s Spirit to fill you with His unquenchable joy, and your life will be a miracle to those who watch you face the trials that come.

Today’s devotional was a great reminder for me to simply focus on the joy I have in being a child of God.

I sometimes here News Commentators say ‘You can’t make this stuff up’.
I was checking on a state law recently and ran across some state laws that fall under the categories of funny, weird, strange and downright dumb! I did not take the time to verify them and am merely posting them here for your amusement.

I am posting them according to categories.

Food
In Philadelphia, you can’t put pretzels in bags based on an Act of 1760.
In New Jersey, cabbage can’t be sold on Sunday.
In Massachusetts, it is against the law to put tomatoes in clam chowder.
In Tennessee, a law exists which prohibits the sale of bologna (sandwich meat) on Sunday.
In West Virginia, one can’t cook sauerkraut or cabbage due to the odors and the offence is subject to imprisonment.

Animals
Alaska law says that you can’t look at a moose from an airplane.
In Corpus Christie, Texas, it is illegal to raise alligators in your home.
In Miami, it is forbidden to imitate an animal.
In the state of Colorado, a pet cat, if loose, must have a tail-light
In North Carolina, it is against the law for a rabbit to race down the street.
In Texas, it is still a “hanging offense” to steal cattle.
In Utah, birds have the right of way on any public highway.
In the State of Kansas, you’re not allowed to drive a buffalo through a street.
In Florida, it is against the law to put livestock on a school bus.
In Galveston, Texas, it is illegal to have a camel run loose in the street.
In North Carolina, it is against the law for dogs and cats to fight.
In Virginia, chickens cannot lay eggs before 8:00 a.m., and must be done before 4:00 p.m.
In New York, it is against the law for children to pick up or collect cigarette and cigar butts.
The law states that more than 3000 sheep cannot be herded down Hollywood Blvd. at any one time.

Modesty
In Michigan, it is against the law for a lady to lift her skirt more than 6 inches while walking through a mud puddle.
In Rochester, Michigan, the law is that anyone bathing in public must have the bathing suit inspected by a police officer.

Couples
It is against the law in Connecticut for a man to write love letters to a girl whose mother or father has forbidden the relationship.
In Michigan, married couples must live together or be imprisoned.
In California, a law created in 1925 makes it illegal to wiggle while dancing.
In Utah, daylight must be visible between dancing couples.

 Lastly…
Why were these laws needed?
In Texas, it’s against the law for anyone to have a pair of pliers in his or her possession.
It is against the law to mispronounce the name of the State of Arkansas in that State.
In Washington State, you can’t carry a concealed weapon that is over 6 feet in length.
In San Francisco, there is an ordinance, which bans the picking up and throwing of used confetti.
In Kentucky, it is illegal for a merchant to force a person into his place of business for the purpose of making a sale.
In Phoenix, Arizona, you can’t walk through a hotel lobby with spurs on.
In Georgia, it’s against the law to spread a false rumor.
In Missouri, a man must have a permit to shave.
In Illinois, the law is that a car must be driven with the steering wheel.
California law prohibits a woman from driving a car while dressed in a housecoat.
In Tennessee, it is against the law to drive a car while sleeping.
In New York, it is against the law for a blind person to drive an automobile.
In West Virginia, only babies can ride in a baby carriage.
In Georgia, it is against the law to slap a man on the back or front.
A barber is not to advertise prices in the State of Georgia.
In Oklahoma, no baseball team can hit the ball over the fence or out of a ballpark.
In Kentucky, it’s the law that a person must take a bath once a year.
In Providence, Rhode Island, it is against the law to jump off a bridge.
In Virginia, the Code of 1930 has a statute which prohibits corrupt practices or bribery by any person other than political candidates.
In Memphis, Tennessee, a woman is not to drive a car unless a man warns approaching motorists or pedestrians by walking in front of the car that is being driven. In Louisiana, a bill was introduced years ago in the State House of Representatives that fixed a ceiling on haircuts for bald men of 25 cents.

Hope some of these made you smile!

Last night as I was praying and giving thanks for all that God has blessed me with I was stopped cold in my thoughts as I realized my feelings or lack of feelings contradicted my words. I truly am thankful; still I am aware I don’t begin to understand what it is like to really be lacking in any necessity. In my younger years we lived from pay check to pay check. We did without many things yet we always had food, clothes, and shelter. I’m mindful that God knows my heart and the genuineness of my heart. That very thought is what made me examine my conversation with God. It also caused me to reflect on how truly blessed I am. I have taken my blessings for granted and I do not want to do that!

I have never been homeless or without food or clothing. I have not had to experience being completely impoverished I have been spiritually impoverished, when I chose to turn my back on God.

I was reading in Amos this morning and I read this:

“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land — not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.  Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. Amos 8:11-12

These verses caused a sinking feeling in my heart. I can not even imagine how horrible it would be to search for the word of the Lord and never find it!! It seems to me our nation is spiraling downward in that very direction. Sin isn’t even swept under the carpet anymore. It is out there in full force, in plain site being flaunted in every way imaginable. Sin is now called tolerance. There are many who are trying to remove God from print, from our speech, from our very thoughts and we stand by silently, looking the other way fearing to open our mouths and take a stand.

Murder, Adultery, Fornication, Homosexuality, Rape, Stealing, Abortion, Lusting, Lying, Injustice and even Idolatry are as prevalent today as what we read about in the Old Testament. We still need to teach against SIN and quit trying to rename it. Sin is not alternate lifestyles, not personal choice, not consenting adults. We are to put God first in all things. Too often God is last in ALL things. Work, family, recreation and whatever pleases has become God for far too many.

Amos was sent to announce Gods judgment on the northern kingdom (Israel). From what I read he was an ordinary man and earned his living from the flock and the sycamore-fig grove. (Amos1:1; 7:14-15).

I have sinned far too many of the sins mentioned above. I thank God for my Savior Jesus Christ. Through him we can be forgiven. The message and the hope is still open to all today.

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38-39

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4

Imagine all of this from my conversation with God last night. I want to be able to say as David did…I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Ps 119:11

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? I do!! Simply watching the local and world news makes me feel that way. Hearing all the names on our prayer list at church often overwhelms me. Sometimes I find myself asking WHY!!

I know the answer.  I also know if I don’t stay focused I can get derailed by all of the turmoil, evil, and conflict in this world. It all started in the Garden…the fall of man. Gen 3:1-24.

 In the first two chapters of Genesis God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning — the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. Gen 1:31-2:1 Then…the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Gen 2:7

I don’t know how many years there is between all that I read of in the Genesis account. I do know in chapter four things start going down hill where we read of jealousy and murder between Cain and Able.

To this day the world is filled with all kinds of evil and wickedness. We are all sinners and since the fall of man we will have to make choices to serve God or Satan until Christ comes again.

Can you imagine how Noah felt? He was in the same ungodly environment as we see today, surrounded by idol worship and everyone doing what gives them the most pleasure. He was surrounded by every kind of imaginable evil and yet he chose to worship God. The people were so wicked during that time that God decided to destroy the earth. Still God was fully aware of the righteousness of Noah and the choices he was making. He wasn’t following everyone else in their sinful ways. He chose to live for God and it saved his life and the lives of his family who chose to follow their father’s example.

The way we live our lives influences others. We are heavily influenced by the world, yet God wants us to follow his example, not the examples of the sin we see around us. The world doesn’t want to hold anyone accountable for sin; the world teaches “tolerance” and calls evil good and good evil. Isa 5:20-30

Too many times I have followed the sinfulness of the world. I thank God I am able to repent and be forgiven. I want to be obedient to God and I will continue to seek him and his ways. There will still be times when I make mistakes and poor choices.  Hopefully they will become less and less as I grow in truth and knowledge. I will press on!!

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.
2 Cor 4:16-18 (from THE MESSAGE)

Memorial Day will be observed in less than two weeks. For those who may not know, it was formerly known as Decoration Day. It is a holiday which honors the memory of fallen soldiers of the United States who died while serving their country and was first enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers after the American Civil War and extended after World War One to honor Americans who have died in all previous wars.

For many years and for far too many it has lost its importance and now merely represents the beginning of summer vacation. It has also been set apart as a time to remember loved ones who have passed even if they never served in the military.

I certainly don’t want to appear as unpatriotic, and I’ll say now that I’m not; still I have to wonder why we at times seem more hyped up by holidays and observances instituted by man and less hyped up about remembering God.

From the Psalms David wrote…When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. Ps 63:6-8

When we remember God we remember what He has said and done it the past and we can apply it to our present situation. David said “My soul clings to you”. Too often instead of us clinging to God, in our rush to get on with our work or our activities we try to race ahead of God.

Remember…
He is our Creator
His grace, mercy and love
His wonders, miracles and judgments
How fleeting life is
That He so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead

As Memorial Day approaches may we all give honor and remembrance to those who have fought and died for our freedom and to preserve this nation, and first and foremost may we always remember to praise God, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,  encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thess 2:16-17

I remember my when my youngest daughter was barley three. She had such a hunger for learning and conquering new tasks. One day she was struggling with tying her shoes and I leaned over to help her. She immediately stiffened her chubby little hands and shook them up and down as she gripped her shoestrings. She looked up at me and with a big scowl on her determined little face and said “I do it my way”.  I chuckled to myself and watched as she finally got her shoes tied. She was so pleased with herself.

Independence, self- reliance or doing it our way is good and has its own place and time for all of us; still we need to guard against being too independent when it comes to our spiritual walk.  Have you ever thought that independence can bring about sin? When we do what God forbids or when we don’t do what he commands, we have exercised our own will. Sin separates us from God!

I’ve heard people say that God seems to be different in the Old Testament than He is in the New Testament. Wrath in the Old verses love in the New. I disagree. I believe he reveals his anger, love, grace, mercy, compassion and faithfulness in both testaments. I still have difficulty wrapping my head around the fact that he gave his only son to die for our sins, that we could be forgiven, reconciled, and have the hope of eternal life with God. It’s so huge that it’s extremely hard for me to comprehend. Do I believe it? You bet I do!! Do I live like I believe it? No, not nearly as well as I know I could because my self-ish-will prevents me. Still, I press on, praying I lay aside my independence, more and more and fill myself with His will.

I change daily, sometimes for the better, other times for the worse. God, by His very nature is unchanging.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Ps 143:10

She carried me under her heart…Loved me before I was born;…Took God’s hand in hers and walked through the valley of Shadows that I might live;…Bathed me when I was helpless…Clothed me when I was naked;…Gave me warm milk from her own body when I was hungry…Rocked me to sleep when I was weary…Pillowed me on pillows softer than down, and sang to me in the voice of an angel…Held my hand when I learned to walk…Nursed me when I was sick;…Suffered with my sorrow…Laughed with my joy…glowed with my triumph, and while I knelt at her side, she taught my lips to pray…Through all the days of my youth she gave strength for my weakness…courage for my despair, and hope to fill my hopeless heart;…Was loyal when others failed…Was true when tried by fire;…Was my friend when other friends were gone…Prayed for me through all the days, when flooded with sunshine or saddened by shadows;…Loved me when I was unlovely, and led me into man’s estate to walk triumphant on the King’s Highway and play a manly part…Though we lay down our lives for her we can never pay the debt we owe to our Precious Mother.

I have had this poem about 25 years. I don’t know who wrote it so I can’t give credit. It is a beautiful poem and I thought it quite appropriate to share it today in honor of our mom’s and Mother’s Day.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Heb 12:1-3

I’ve been guilty of starting projects only to conclude I really wasn’t interested in finishing them. I don’t make a habit of doing that, yet I’m still glad it wasn’t something for which I could lose a grade or a reward. I must also admit there have been times in my Christian walk that I have wanted to just call it quits, times when I have been so discouraged or disappointed that I just wanted to walk away.  Then I remember Paul’s goal, “to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead”. Phil 3:10-11 and again, like Paul, I press on… Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14 I hope to finish well…

The following story from “1000 Quotes” illustrates “Finishing Well”

At 7 p.m. on October 20, 1968, a few thousand spectators remained in the Mexico City Olympic Stadium. It was cool and dark. The last of the marathon runners, each exhausted, were being carried off to first-aid stations. More than an hour earlier, Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia—looking as fresh as when he started the race—crossed the finish line, the winner of the 26-mile, 385-yard event.

As the remaining spectators prepared to leave, those sitting near the marathon gates suddenly heard the sound of sirens and police whistles. All eyes turned to the gate. A lone figure wearing number 36 and the colors of Tanzania entered the stadium. His name was John Stephen Akhwari. He was the last man to finish the marathon. He had fallen during the race and injured his knee and ankle. Now, with his leg bloodied and bandaged, he grimaced with each hobbling step around the 400-meter track.

The spectators rose and applauded him. After crossing the finish line, Akhwari slowly walked off the field. Later, a reporter asked Akhwari the question on everyone’s mind: “Why did you continue the race after you were so badly injured?”

He replied, “My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 7,000 miles to finish it.”

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” Heb 12:1.