God's Garden

I see so many beautiful, wonderful, accomplished and caring pictures of people my friends love here on FB! This reminds me of a beautiful garden. Each flower/person is unique. Each one is different in shape, scent, and color. Some may have thorns or prickly stems. some may have deep roots, others shallow. Some are considered weeds to others. Some act like they are better than the others. some are complicated, some are simple. Oh, such a wonderful variety!

The point is that I think the most beautiful gardens are the ones with all of us together, side by side, being the best of our unique selves and making room for others. I also think that this is the kind of garden that delights our Creator God.

I think we must remember that the pictures of people are not all that they are. Thier outward appearance is not the only thing that God sees. He sees our hearts (yes, all of our hearts.) His garden is one that is not only pleasing to the eye, but also to the heart. He cares for all and places us in the place we belong. It may be in the sunshine or the shadows.

Our only purpose is to please Him.

Holy Gardener, Good Father, Great Creator, You are our only purpose for being. You have given us so much and we have lost sight of who we are in Your eyes. Forgive us for our arrogance. Thank You for making each of us different and putting us side by side so our differences would shine. Teach us Lord to recognize You for who You are and ourselves and others for who You created them to be. We need You to pour out Your living water over us because it is only in You that we can be all we were meant to be.

Discovery

Discovery

Grandlady Abi has always been scared of bugs. She would scream, cry and run away from the sight of a creepy crawly or a buzzing bomber. Lately, however, she has surprised us all with her fascination for all kinds of crawling bugs. Rolly pollys and centipedes are hunted down and collected by hand into containers. She watches them with a studious gaze and reports in great detail to any listening ear. Though Abi has always loved animals, this new discovery of the smallest of God’s creatures is amazing to watch. She is learning about herself and about the wonders of insect life.

Eugene Cernan was the astronaut chosen to leave the last footprint on the surface of the moon. I watched a documentary about him that unraveled the story of his journey through the space program and beyond, but it also told the personal side of life. The movie was informative and moving. He grew from a simple farm boy, to fighter pilot, to an astronaut, to only one of twelve men to walk on the moon.

The last trip to the moon was a mission to bring back moon rocks and explore as much of the landscape as possible via the Lunar Rover. The video from that day of discovery was so much fun to watch! “Gene” Cernan was having a great time on the moon. It seemed as if he frolicked and played while attending to his duties. He saw the handiwork of God and was amazed. I was having fun watching him. As he approached the LEM to leave the moon, he stopped to write his daughter’s initials in the moon dust. It would still be a long journey for him to learn about himself and the wonders of our world.

Exploration and discovery are the themes of these two stories. Each was learning and discovering things in a new way. In the same way, I was discovering something about God. I could sense His delight as He watched His children uncover the mysteries of the world He created just for us! He was watching Abi and “Gene” immersing themselves in the pleasure of the moment and I am sure He smiled!
I know that there is much more to discover. What can I uncover today about God? Myself? Creation? The list can go on for eternity! Yes, I think I will need a place where there is no end where my spirit, soul and body can experience the glory of the Lord!

Good Father, You are timeless and endless in discovery! I have too often remained in my shell where I feel safe. Forgive me for not looking far where I can be enticed to search for more of You! Thank You for making the world a place of amazing lessons. I want to be an explorer who reaches far beyond myself and touches you! Amen.

Is My Sin Showing?

Sin is a big word. We all have sin in our lives, but it is not something we proudly display, most of the time. We think we hide our sins fairly well, but then someone calls us out on what they see, and we go scrambling to stuff them back under the covers, hoping it will all disappear.

I remember clearly at the time when my sin of ingratitude was pointed out to me. I was grumbling and unhappy with everything in my life. My very patient and loving husband took me to McDonalds and let me complain for a long while. Finally, he said to me, “Care, your problem is that you are ungrateful.” I was speechless. Of course, I wouldn’t have named my unhappiness in that way, but lying there in the deepest part of me was the ravenous monster called Thanklessness. Even though my sin was disguised by my blame game, it was showing. Patrick did the right thing by shining a light into my darkness. It was time to deal with that fiend once and for all.

We all are sinners. We all fall short of the mark. We all would like to hide those failings from others. But in all my years, I have to admit that though I think I am covering over my sin, it still shows. Like a child who closes his eyes or hides under a blanket, thinking we can’t see them, it still shows.

Yes, some sins are easier to hide than others, and we are more desperate to hide some sins than others, but all sins can be found out. Our only hope is to have them covered by the Blood of the Lamb.

Good Father, we see the world uncovering their sin without guilt or shame. We, too, sometimes excuse our sin as just a human condition that needs no fear of exposure. You see all of our sin. Yet, You love us so much that You will not let it stay hidden. You have made a way to remove it by Your Son’s blood. Thank You! Help us to open our hearts to Your plan and Your holiness. Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us!

Rewards Awarded

They put me to shame. I’m talking about those people who determine to lose weight, change a bad habit, or begin an exercise program and succeed. Yes, they put me to shame, because I stumble over obstacles and decide it is not worth the hardship, so I quit. But I love to cheer on those who stay true to their commitment. They deserve the reward they have fought hard to achieve.

Something Good Inside of Me: A Children’s Poetry Keepsake Journal began 18 years ago with the writing of one children’s poem. Over the past 18 years, I was to write many more poems, given opportunities to learn and dream, and surrounded by many who gave encouragement and direction. I was like that little donkey chasing the carrot dangling on the end of a string just out of reach. I would reluctantly put one foot in front of another, give up easily, and then return to the chase with a new determination in a cycle of seemingly never-ending obstacles. Those stumbling blocks were mostly in my thinking, but with help, I was able to get past them.

This last week I was informed that I will be awarded a certificate and a check for my Children’s book winning second place in a national contest for the NLAPW in the children’s book category. I was very surprised and happy! It is not every day that a prestigious honor is given for the work done.

Getting the award has been wonderful, but I don’t really claim it all to myself. I gave credit to all those who helped me along the way at first. Today, however, brought a new thought, one that is even truer. The award goes to God. He gave me my talents. He provided the opportunities. He put it all into place because He has a plan for the words written. Today I have received a great reward! I am ever so pleased to place this award at His feet, and Give Him all the glory!

I can stand alongside those success stories of overcoming obstacles only by believing God has a purpose for me. It takes faith to take each step toward His will not mine.

The truth I see today is that earthly awards have no value in my hands. Only when my awards are given to the God who is the Beginning and the End can I receive the reward I deserve, the pleasure of giving value to my Creator, Lord, and Savior.

Father God, You created me for Your glory. You chose a plan for me. You are the only one who deserves the praise. All of my accomplishments began with You and will end with You. Forgive me for holding tight to my earthly awards. Thank You for the reward that is greater! I desire to make You smile. I want to make You known throughout the world.

Power to Learn

I look back over my many years and realize that I have sold myself short on many occasions. I have told myself and others "I can't" when the truth was I really gave up too soon. I gave up on math, history, memorization, writing, and other efforts.

I learned from my son, Joseph, that I could learn algebra. Homeschooling him in math made me learn, even though he seemed to already know how to do it. I learned from him that I could figure it out. I am still not fast or always right but I understand the concepts.

I gave up on history until I began to study the bible. Reading the history of God's people lit a fire inside me to understand the story of mankind. I still get mixed up on dates, but I am learning new stories from around the world and of influential people. I find I understand what is happening now when I know what has happened in the past. Here is a secret I've found: People have not changed much. Our world has changed with inventions but people seem to still struggle with the same issues.

Memorization was never something I excelled in, but remembering God's word is important to me so I have learned to put the word into my mind and heart. I have not succeeded in memorizing chapters or books, but the treasures I have gathered in my storehouse are so helpful in my prayer life and my walk of faith.

I never thought I was a writer. I loved to write but, I only recently have called myself an author and poet. I continue to learn and grow in this field and may never become an expert. I can do better and so I will keep trying.

These little stories illustrate the power we have to learn. Self-education should be part of our education plan for all students. In fact, I believe each student has as their main job to self-educate with the help of good mentors to lead and guide, not force feed. Learning is a lifetime endeavor. When we teach children that they are to only know or seek to learn what is presented to them we take away the joy of learning.

My parents instilled in us a love of learning. I purposefully tried to do the same in my children. I hope my children are doing the same for my grandchildren.

I believe God wants us to love learning as well. He gave us curiosity and imagination. We only need to supply the self-discipline and the awe from all we discover.

Creator God, Giver of all that amazes and intrigues us, You are to be praised for Your work of creation. Forgive us when we sell ourselves short and fail to see the wonders You placed here for our delight and pleasure. Thank You for not being boring. Thank You for expanding our knowledge every day! Help us to use the gifts of curiosity and imagination so we might discover Your creation and in the process more of You and ourselves. Amen.

Holy Spirit Led Friendship

I was drawn to the stranger who sat at the table waiting for her appointment list to be filled. Ms. Penwell is an acquisitions editor looking for something I could not provide, but I had a strong feeling that I should sign up for an appointment to talk with her, to "pick her brain."

The Florida Christian Writers Conference (FWCW) is a place to learn from those who know best what an author needs to know. I determined I would make the most of my time, and sitting down with Ms. Penwell was what I needed to do since I had the opportunity. I didn't realize how important that talk would be for me at the time, but looking back I can only say that God gave me a divine appointment.

In order to "Pick her brain," I needed to have some questions ready, but I seemed to be in a fog as to what to ask. Even as I walked toward her table for the consultation, I had no idea what I would talk to her about. I sat down and immediately I began to tear up. Before she could say anything I poured out my story to her. She was a good listener without prejudice for my actions.

This past December I lost a dear friend. Carol had been instrumental in getting my book published, but it was her insistence for me to attend FWCW and CLASS (Christian Leaders Authors and Speakers Seminar) years ago that made this encounter special. Ms. Penwell was a CLASS alumni, and of course, she was at the FWCW. She brought back memories of my dear friend and I needed to talk about Carol's influence on me and how she would be so proud of me being there. This wonderful open-hearted woman heard me. She heard my grief. She heard my longing for a friend.

We closed our meeting with prayer, and she challenged me to turn my poems for Carol into devotions that could help others. I have accepted the challenge.

I came away from this encounter knowing God had directed me. It was not my plan but His. It was His Holy Spirit who emboldened me to set the appointed time and follow through. Without God, I would have lost an opportunity to make a friend and have my grief find just a little more healing.

Proverbs 27:9 "Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel."ESV

Father in Heaven, I am amazed that You think of everything we need before we even know we need it! You knew we would need Your Holy Spirit to guide us and show us how wonderful living daily with You can be. However, we do not always live with Your presence so visible. Forgive us for putting You behind ourselves. You deserve to be first and last and always. Thank You for sending us friends at the right time. Thank You for the old and new friends. I've always liked the song we sang at Scouts. "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." I can see that You are the One who makes those friends treasures. Help me to be a friend who listens without prejudice. Open my heart to those You would have me befriend. Amen!