Deep Thoughts and Little Happenings

Our son is a Chief Quartermaster (QMC) in the navy, and part of his job is to make sure their ship safely navigates while at sea.  Some of the hardest times to do that is when navigating restricted waters -- when a ship is within 2nm of shoal water or land. Safe speed must be used in restricted waters and Line of Position has to be taken no more than every 3 minutes versus every 3-15 minutes as done while piloting open waters. I know that was a lot of technical stuff that is tough to understand, but this is what I get from that.  When the ship is in danger of collision, it must slow it's speed and make sure of where it is in relationship to everything else more often than when it's in open water. The same is true for Christians navigating through this life.  We are citizens of heaven, but we are not in heaven.  We are in restricted waters.  We must be continually checking our position in relationship to the One who knows the way.  We do this by reading God's Word (the

I grew up in south Georgia and I spent a lot of time on Jekyll Island.  My grandfather grew up there on the island where his father was the island gamekeeper.  As a result, Grandpa knew the island in a way few do, and one of the things he used to say was, "Be careful going off down those coon trails." I'm a fraidy cat, so I was never out of shouting distance from Grandpa.  In fact, I don't remember a time when I couldn't see at least a glimpse of his shirt.  Anyway, our Scott recently said something that reminded of those times with Grandpa.  He was checking the accuracy of a compass and said, "It's not off by much, but after a while I'd be a long way from where I'd want to be."  The same is true when I know the Word of God but allow my understanding to reshape it so it's easier to follow...or when instead of walking by the Spirit, I go a more interesting or easier way.  I don't set out to stray, but before I know it, I have no

Our grandson, Brendon, recently came for his summer sleepover.  H e had a loose tooth.  Very loose.  Dangling by one thread of gum tissue loose.  Very painful.  Struggling to talk, eat, drink, and brush his teeth painful.  Unfortunately, he couldn't forget the pain and blood of loosing his other teeth.  His fear of causing that pain to return kept him from pulling this tooth or allowing us to pull it for him. Meanwhile, Grandpa and I watched his misery.  It was sad and frustrating.  We knew pulling that tooth would bring relief.  We wanted his ongoing pain and misery to stop! I came to understand a spiritual truth while watching Brendon's struggle.  My fear of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead me in a new direction makes about as much sense to my heavenly Father as Brendon keeping that tooth does to us. Walking away from where I am may bring momentary pain, but following the Holy Spirit will always bring me to a place of relief and joy.  The Spirit leads me someplace out

We've just enjoyed nine days with one of George's U.K. cousins and her husband.  Because none of us knew the others existed prior to last year, we spent a lot of time telling stories, sharing pictures, and just getting to know one another. Something we began to realize very early on was our words do not have the same meanings.  We are citizens of different countries and what means one thing in the U.K. means another in the U.S.A..  One such word is piddling.  Did you know that when we say someone is piddling (going slower than necessary), they hear bathroom talk?  I call our evening meal supper.  Hazel calls the evening meal tea.  They go on holiday and we go on vacation.  Their cars have a boot and ours have a trunk. Anyway, this got me to thinking.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, I'm a citizen of heaven, but I'm living in a foreign land.  How much of what I hear from the LORD's Word is mixed up by where I live and my understanding of that Word? Most of us ha

Children are delighted by dandelions.  They love to pick the yellow flowers and take them to loved ones as tokens of their affections.  I’ve had small bouquets of those little flowers in my house on numerous occasions thanks to my children and grandchildren.  I loved receiving that spontaneous gesture of love, and proudly displayed them in little vases.  Bonus: Picking the blooms will prevent them from going to seed. Many a child has enjoyed those stems of fluffy  “wishes” that we know are future dandelions. Root hairs are what I call those tiny roots that run off the main root of a dandelion.  You can pull the dandelion and its big long root, but there are oodles of little root hairs still in the ground.  Underground, those root hairs get busy.  Soon, new dandelions are sprouting up in your yard again. George and I had words on Saturday evening.  Well, it was more me than George.  Yes, the topic was silly, but the real issue was my old insecurities.  Again!  George’s acti

I’ve just experienced an amazing weekend, and the LORD used it to continue the process of opening my eyes. I spent all day Saturday at the Park Valley Church Women’s Refresh Conference.   The keynote speaker was Lisa Harper, and the topic was Grace. Lisa's final session was entitled Launched, and  she used the verses in Mark 10:45-52 to point out three truths.   1.   Jesus had a specific mission statement, and He never forgot His mission.   What was that mission?   Serve the Father! 2.   The blind man did nothing but sit on the curb all day until He asked Jesus to give him the ability to see. 3.  Jesus opened his eyes, and i mmediately after receiving his sight, the man began to follow Jesus. Sounds sort of ho-hum, right?!   Jesus healed the man and the man stopped sitting on the curb and started following Jesus.     But… The LORD had already prepared my heart to hear a specific Word from Him that was just for me ! Last week I read Roman

Shalom is a Hebrew word that means peace and can be used to mean both hello and goodbye.   Ho-Hum!   Yawn, Yawn!   Peace is an overused word today.   We all laugh when Sandra Bullock says, “And world peace,” during her interview in Miss Congeniality.   It’s a joke! Well, I’ve been learning something new about Shalom.   It started about 18 months ago with what is referred to as the LORD’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4).   I got no further than… Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven .   How is His will done in heaven?   Immediately!   Without question! Willingly!   With a joyful heart! You get the picture.   That’s when I began to realize something about myself.   When I struggle to obey what His Word says is right, it is because I do not trust Him.   And when I do not trust Him, I do not have Shalom because I am at war with Him.   I have become His enemy because I am against Him and His ways. I was reading Romans 12 last week and was struck anew by the words

Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10B I’m not sure all blenders are alike, so I’ll tell you a little about mine.   It has several options, but there are two that grabbed my attention this morning. First is the pulse button .   When I press pulse, a light is on, but nothing happens until I press one of the blending options (stir, chop, mix, puree or liquefy).   Additionally, I have to keep pressing that option or the blender stops until I press it again. Second is the crush ice button .    When I press crush ice, the blender begins a start and stop pattern until I press the off button. This morning, I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing until my kitchen and I were doused with iced coffee.  Yep!  You guessed it...I removed the lid while the crush ice button was on! All too often, my focus is on my own agenda, and it takes a mess to get my attention.  Today my blender mess was a reminder that I have another choice. I can cho

While traveling, I heard this song for the first time. It spoke to me, and I wanted to share it with y'all. I hope you're having a wonderful week! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAt33bI-1As

Today's verses are in Jeremiah 17:7-8.  These are verses I have prayed as truth for our Jeremy for years, but they took on new meaning for me today. I trust in ADONAI Therefore He is my security I'm like a tree planted by water (by the Living Water of Yeshua) I spread out my roots by the water I don't notice the heat My foliage is luxuriant I'm not anxious in the year of drought I keep yielding fruit Just to be clear, that's the personalized version of what I was reading.  It's not about some unknown person anymore...this is God's Word over me. What really jumped out was the cause and effect going on here. IF I trust ADONAI - regardless of my circumstances & how they look from my perspective THEN ADONAI will be my security IF I spread out my roots by the river THEN I won't notice the heat My foliage will be luxuriant I won't be anxious in a year of drought I will keep yielding fruit There are two positive and two n

I'm laughing!  Out loud laughing!  My last post was actually the ramblings of someone coming out of anesthesia.  I wasn't preparing for surgery at all.  I was out of surgery! Can you believe it?!  I'm no longer groggy.  At least I don't think I am.  I feel fully awake and happy, happy, happy!  The surgery (exposing and cutting away of my wrong thinking) was happening even as I was seeing, remembering, confessing, and crying over the evil ways of my tongue. How cool is that?  It was happening even as I was asking our Father to do it!  I'm definitely going to need to take it easy and follow all His post surgery instructions.  I was given those instructions on Friday morning...1st Peter 3:10-17.  Specifically... v. 14 - ...don't fear what they fear or be disturbed v. 15 - but treat the Messiah as holy, as LORD in your hearts v. 16 - ...good behavior flowing from your union with the Messiah I cannot fear anyone or anything more than the LORD.  I must c

George’s favorite verse is Psalm 46:10, and the first two words have been reverberating around in my head for a couple of days now…Be still!  That’s what I’m hearing over and over and over.   How am I supposed to be still?   I know I’m supposed to still my thoughts not stop all daily activities, but that’s way easier said than done!   The Holy Spirit has promised to help me.    Unfortunately, the first thing He's telling me is going to require a lot of change.  Good thing He's all powerful, because I'm never going to be able to do this without Him.  This is going to require unlearning a life long habit.  On the plus side, I totally agree with Him about this, but it's going to require constant vigilance.    What is the change? I interrupt everyone.   I’m not discriminating.   I don’t consciously do it, and I don’t consciously think “everyone wants my opinion on what they're sharing” but...That’s the ugly, ugly truth.   While I’m here, may I just as

I’ve spent years wanting to write words that will bring life and encouragement into the lives of others.   I’ve not written for fear of writing the wrong words or being misunderstood.   I’ve lived a life of disobedience.   I’ve used other “good things” to procrastinate and justify myself.   I’ve allowed dead works to fill my days and ease my conscience, but… Last weekend, I read a verse that caused me to pray a prayer that has rocked my world.   It turned me upside down and has shaken me so hard that everything of no value has been exposed.   Just this morning I was given the reminder that I was delivered and called to a life of holiness for God’s purposes and not my own (2 Timothy 1:9).   So, I’m guessing you want to know what Saturday’s verse was.   Here goes… The verse was Acts 3:26.   So it is to you first that God has sent His servant who He has raised up, so that He might bless you by turning each one of you from your evil ways.   FYI: I am currently reading from the Compl