Sow? How, So?

Psalm 126:5-6 reads Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves.

I like this image--carrying the bag of seed while we go along weeping. It would be more enjoyable to be carrying the bag of seed while we go along singing; however, realistically, this is not life--at least on a daily basis. We each have difficulties in life--sometimes, enough to make us cry, and, yet, we have this bag of seed we carry with us. In this bag of seed we have everything we need to help others. It's not heavy with gold or silver. It contains what we have learned from our experiences and love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

What are we to do with this bag of seed? Sow.

How so?

*let bitterness go *reflect love in every situation  *help others

Remember that

....God's work is possible only through OTHERS.
So, if I'm wishing those difficult OTHERS out of my life for whatever reason, I may have no place to sow. My bag of seed ends up in a remote corner of my closet or basement and is totally useless.

Let's sow beautiful things--you don't have to wait for spring.

Between a Rock and a Hot Place

Although I consider myself "middle-age," my husband reminds me that I won't live to be 135. So, since I refuse to say that I am "old," I'll simply say I am a baby-boomer, a grandma. Being a grandparent makes you think about life in a different way. For example, over a year ago, my husband and I bought cemetery spots. We had debated as to the whereabouts of this for over a year and finally took the plunge, bought two rectangles of land, and checked it off our to-do list.

Now the question is--do we really want to use these plots of land or are we going to be cremated. To be honest, I'm a bit claustrophobic and don't care to imagine my body being in a casket, in a vault, buried beneath the ground. On the other hand, thoughts of my body burning doesn't excite me either.  It's literally being between a rock and a hot place.

So I'm vascilating on this...
When my husband asked me if I had decided yet, I told him "no" and that he could surprise me. ....

This morning while reading Genesis 2:7--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. --I've decided to request that what is left of me simply be placed on farmland--where I will eventually blend in with the sun and soil and wind. And, yes, it's acceptable if the wild animals take a nibble or two.... and, thank goodness, we don't live in bear country. (If you saw "Revenant" with Leonardo you get the picture.)

Okay, that's not legal, I know.
I think the answer to all of this is to not really die.
Yes, it's possible.
We have eternity planted in our hearts.
So, whether we live or die we are the LORD'S.

Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

AMEN...

Loving Mystery-- a name for God?

Things that are mysterious.....

Bermuda Triangle, Black Holes, Sea Monsters, UFOs, Stonehenge, the "afterlife," ... or maybe things and people you see everyday... like the sky, clouds and stars... or the some one who remains a puzzle.

I enjoy books filled with suspense and psychological intrigue.
Although I would never desire this in real life.
As I have grown older, I have also become enamored (no, I'm not exaggerating) with scripture.

My next book, DO NOT BE DECEIVED, is a mix of suspense, psychological intrigue, and, yes, scripture. It can be considered young adult or contemporary women's fiction; however, many men have read my books.

This book is not about Black Holes or UFOs. It is about a little girl who has been abandoned by her mother and older sister and left to live with an abusive father. It's a story of her survival.

I saw a prayer in Grace and Peace that read, "I am yours and you are mine, Loving Mystery. Let me live each moment in this awareness."

Cassandra, the protagonist of DO NOT BE DECEIVED, clings to a God she does not know. Although a "mystery" to her, she clings until she knows.

Although you may not be able to relate to her life specifically, you will find a link in that we each endure emotional, physical, or other hardships. It's part of life on earth. Cassandra traveled a broken road; however, she did not self-destruct, play the role of victim, or repeat her past by becoming destructive herself.

We can't understand much of what happens to us or the whys.
We can, however, trust that God is loving.

You can get the book on amazon.com or barnes and noble web sites, soon. 

Awesome!

Popular expressions come and go. Awesome! is an example.

"I got an A on my test," she said. "Awesome."
"We went to the Grand Canyon last summer; it was awesome," another stated.

Awesome is defined as extremely impressive; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear.... Awesome arose in 1598 England when awe was added to some-- meaning something that inspires awe. English Bible translations use the words "awe" or "awesome" almost exclusively to refer to the person or work of God. [Google]

This morning I read Psalm 68.

        Who is YAH?
*He rides on the clouds. (vs 4)
*He is a father to the fatherless; a defender of widows.(vs 5)
*He makes the earth shake and the heavens pour down rain. (vs 8)
*He scattered the kings. (vs 12)
*His chariots are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands.(vs 17)
*He bears our burdens. (vs 19)
*He saves us from death. (vs 20)
*He rides the ancient skies above. (vs 33)
*He is awesome. (vs 35)

And, He is our God.

The God who rides on the clouds also bears our burdens.

The God who makes the earth shake and the heavens pour down rain...

also defends widows and orphans.

And, yes, he made eternity possible.

Awesome!

Let's spend some time praising our awesome God today....

Need a good book?

Want suspense? Imagine Adam and Eve hiding in the garden FROM GOD. Imagine Elijah hiding in a cave with Jezebel out to get him BECAUSE HE HAD SLAIN all of Jezebel's prophets of Baal. Imagine Joseph in the pit of a well waiting to be rescued, and the EGYPTIAN SOLDIERS FIND HIM.

Want a horror story? (sorry, I usually can't take this stuff)... John the Baptist's head was cut off and displayed on a platter in front of Herod's dinner guests. Jael, "most blessed of women," pounded a nail through Sisera's head after giving him milk "in a bowl fit for nobles".

Adventure/ rescue stories appeal to you?  Daniel and the Lions Den is a good start. The Exodus--talk about adventure and rescue--walking through the Red Sea, receiving Manna from heaven, knocking down the walls of Jericho...

Want a love story? The story of Ruth, Jacob's perseverance in wanting Rachel for his wife, David's desire for Bathsheba, Uriah's wife, and what he did to get her....

The birth of Jesus is the greatest story of love ever.

There are no boring characters in the Bible. Not a one.
Jonah and the whale, Rahab the prostitute, Saul's conversion, Noah and the ark, GOD.

From Genesis to Revelation, we have the consistency of God. From Genesis to Revelation, he reveals the perfect plan for the redemption of mankind.

Another reason to read this book of adventure, love, rescue? It's about YOU. It has hidden treasurers written just for you. You can read it again and again and it will still be filled with mystery.

Need a good book?
Get the Bible off your shelf and curl up in your favorite chair.
The One who inspired it will be sitting at your side.

What Are You Doing, Here, In This Mess?

If you think you have nothing in common with the Old Testament, keep reading.
In the book of 1 Kings, Elijah was afraid (with reason) and hid himself in a cave. Life had gotten too BIG for him. The LORD asked him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Have you ever felt like you wanted to hide out until the proverbial storm was over? There were others who tried hiding: Adam and Eve in the garden, Jonah in the belly of a whale (perhaps not his choice), David...

James 5:17 reads "Elijah was a man like us..." and, yes, he hid in a cave when life got too difficult.

1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that no temptation has seized you that is not common to man. If God could handle Elijah's problems (Jezebel's threats and more), He can handle yours.

One of my favorite prayers:

Creator God, Ancient of Days, You alone can accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine, so since I am often too anxious or too confused or too sinful to know how to pray, I'm simply asking to accomplish in me far more than I can ask for, far more than I can imagine. You give abundantly and without finding fault. May I love life with the love of God and be secure in your Grace. Amen

We're all just walking each other home.

Ram Dass

...get out from your cave, out from behind the door, out from under the sheets, and keep on walking dear friend. You're on the same road as Elijah, as Jonah, as the guy next door, your best friend....and set your eyes on your Creator, the Ancient of Days.

Trouble Sleeping?

I remember as a child going to bed under clean sheets--always smelling of fresh air and sunshine--feeling fuzzy, and then drifting, drifting off to sleep. As an old fogey, baby boomer, a person in her golden years (is there not a good phrase for an older person?), I miss the drifting.

Now, I crawl into bed, turn on my bedside lamp, pull out the current book, and read. After 10-20 minutes--depending on how good the book is, I start to nod. I put the book down, turn off the light, and close my eyes, but sleep often does not come.

On some nights, I fall asleep, but find myself listening to the tick-tock of a clock during 2 - 4 in the morning. Not fun.

Psalm 16:7 reads, I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

I have determined that the LORD keeps me awake because I need instruction.

As I grow older, maybe this is why I have trouble sleeping.
God's not finished with me yet, and each day I grow closer to an eternity planned for me.
If I'm awake at night, just maybe, he's telling me I need more time with Him.....morning, noon, or night.

Still have time? Read the following:
For my determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of this Person more strongly and more clearly. Philippians 3:10 (amplified version)