That We May Know

 

**I have been making some changes to my blog site this week. I hope you still recognize it as mine. I would love your feedback if it is easier or harder to read and if you are able to leave a comment. I have changed a few things and I hope to be able to hear from you. If not, that is okay, I just would like to hear about you since you hear so much about me.

 

Today's post:

 

I came across this nugget in my reading this week and had to re-read it several times.

 

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God

 so that you may know you have eternal life. This is the confidence

we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

1 John 5:13-14

The words I have underlined jumped at me. John is telling us that we can KNOW. Not, hope, imagine, pretend, possibly. No, we can KNOW, that we have eternal life. Did you catch how? If you believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Also, we can have confidence when approaching God. Now for a moment, wrap your mind around this. The God of the universe, the God who created us and is above all things, is approachable?! Approachable. Who are we to even ask or question God? (Read Job if you want to hear God's response when questioned) Yet, here in 1 John we are told not only that He is approachable, but we can be confident. We don't need to come before Him in fear. So, can we ask God to help us win the lottery? Can we ask Him to heal our love ones? Can we ask Him for a wish list of things. Read on...according to His will. You see, it needs to be something that He has wants for us and knows is best for us. Scripture reminds us that our ways and thoughts are not like God's. So how do we know what to ask for? Seek Him. Ask for discernment. Ask for wisdom. Ask to be filled with His Spirit and the Spirit will work in you to come to a place were you seek His will for your life, more than you seek your own and the best part, is the last, He hears us. May these words bring encouragement to you. He is approachable. He is wanting us to know we have eternal life and not question what happens after we die and finally, He is listening. Are we asking? Too afraid, think he can't handle it? Just take a look at the pictures I posted today. If He can create this, then I know he can handle anything you ask, if it is according to His will. Also, all that I captured, will one day be destroyed. You, however, mean so much more to Him than anything he created here on earth, He has a place for you to spend eternity, because you will not be destroyed. The choice is always ours and remember, by not choosing, you are still making a choice. Seek Him today He is listening.





 

Update to Yesterday's Post

I am happy to report that the cat I mentioned in yesterday's post was sitting and waiting in the hen house this morning. Still wild as can be. Still not letting me near him. But watching from a distance. He is alive and well. Leg is still a bit swollen but looks better than yesterday and he is able to walk on it. Who knows, maybe some day we will be friends. Until then, I plan to still try to reach out and be kind to him. The choice is completely his. I will treat him the same as the others.

Kind of like the people in our lives. At first they may run from the message we share with them. They may not like what we have to say. They may need time to think about it for a while. We need to give them their space and be waiting for them if they return. Some will return and others will keep running. As I said yesterday, we can't save them. Only God can. Have a blessed weekend!

I Did It Anyway

For as far back as I can remember I have always had a love for animals. I don't just mean a fondness and a liking to see them from a distance. I mean a love and need for animals in my life. I was blessed to be raised on a farm which brought about many different types of animals. I also have a Dad who loves animals as well so it was easier to have many pets in my life. Mom didn't have the deep love for animals but she did enjoy them and had a deep love for her husband and children so she tolerated them well. (Thanks Mom!)

I used to love finding kittens when they were born and winning their trust in me. Forty five years later little has changed. Just last week I found some and was like a little kid. Grinning from ear to ear, my husband looked at me with a smile and said, "takes you back 35 years doesn't it". I said more like 40.

Early this spring a few were found, but too late to win them over. They remained wild. The mother was a drop off several years ago and it took me a week to win her trust. We have come a long way. I am the only one she completely trusts and will let hold her. She will let my one daughter hold her but she is allergic and so that doesn't happen very often. I have spoke of this cat in the past. While she trusts me two of her kittens have remained here on the farm and are all but full grown. They are males and they help keep the mice way. I rarely see them and that is fine with me.

Three days ago, as I approached the hen house I heard a soft meow. I looked in the barn and found nothing. I looked in the dairy barn that has sat empty for years, nothing. I decided it must have been the wind blowing in the old windows. The next day morning and evening, each time I went to hen house I heard it. Definitely coming from dairy barn. Still nothing. I even had my dog with me, and she didn't see or sniff anything. She would look at me, with those intense eyes she has, every time it meowed. I also noticed whenever I talked to Maggie, our dog, or to Patches, the cat, I would hear it. I decided yesterday to tour the entire barn. Nothing.

This morning as I rounded the corner of the hen house I clearly heard it. It was more loud and more desperate. I felt the feeling in my stomach that I had to find this cat before something bad happened. I even prayed that God would allow me to find it and save it. Today was different then the last three. This was a cry of help and fear. So I began again. Nothing. Then I heard it one more time and knew for sure it was upstairs and not downstairs and I went with Maggie knowing she would find it. She did not. Thankfully, I did. What I saw laying before me made me immediately take her out and pen her up in house. I got my husband's hunting jacket, thick leather gloves and flashlight. I headed back. The poor thing was all tangled in a few old fishing nets. My guess is, he was trying to catch a mouse and when he jumped he caused them to fall on top of him. To say tangled doesn't quite describe it clearly. He had twisted himself entirely in the  netting. His one leg was twisted very tight.  His head was the only thing free. As soon as he saw me, he lifted his head in relief and tried to relax. However, in closer inspection I knew scissors were going to be needed. I headed to the house and got a pair and continued to pray this would go well. As I walked through the straw, over the boards and behind the feed box, where he lay I noticed his mother, Patches was watching. She had heard him too. She sat right by me and watched the entire time. He is as big if not bigger than her. But was completely helpless. As I reached to make the first cut, his eyes changed. The wild was back. They became black as night and the teeth in his mouth looked like fangs and the claws were all ready for action. This was not going to be easy. I had also grabbed a towel. I immediately covered his face and the biting scratching and flipping began. Deeper entangled. I waited till he stopped. Amazed that three days of no food and water the strength that remained. I decided the best was to pin his head down with one hand and cut with the other. I had to take my glove off to hold the scissors and feared I would be scratched. And believe me when I say scratched I mean stitches would have followed. I never saw fear like this. As I began cutting he was getting more leverage. I made the final cut, removed the towel and waited. Patches did too. He hissed at me and tried to run. His one front leg was a bit swollen and he was very thin. However he could stand. He took one last look and was gone. Patches stood and followed me out. We closed the door. I tried to take food and water but he was gone. He knows where the food and water are in the hen house so he can always go there if needed. I just tried to have it closer till he regained his strength.

As I walked back to the house I felt there is a lesson in there somewhere. As I reflected on it during my morning walk, this is what came to me.

We get all tangled in our own mess. We wait for awhile before asking for help from others and from God. We start softly and quietly. Don't want to be a bother. Then we find we become desperate. It is now life or death. We call out. We cry out. God always comes. God is always waiting. God can clean up our mess, but it is up to us as to what we do with it. Sometimes God has people in our life who trust him and have walked with him a long time to be near us to show us the way and to encourage us that things will be okay that we can trust Him. When He takes care of our mess whether it be the day to day sins we get into or the separation from Him because of our sinful nature, where His Son had to come and die to pay the price we never could, He did it knowing some would reject His help or plan of Salvation. He did it anyway.

I would love to say that cat stopped, turned around and limped over to me and licked my hand and started purring. I would love to say that it even stayed and watched me for awhile. But it didn't. Even though its mother sat beside me the whole time showing the trust she had in me, didn't make a difference. It still took off. I most likely will never see it again.

I thought about that. God will bring people into our lives that we will help. We will walk along side and sit up late at night helping through their troubles. We will tell them of God's love and we will show them the way. Yet, they will still reject Him. I knew the moment I found that cat, he would never like me or thank me in return. It was my love for animals that God planted in my heart when He breathed life in me to help that caused me to do it. I did it anyway. Regardless of the outcome.

If God has placed in your heart the desire to serve or help someone, do it anyway. Let the outcome up to Him. We can't save anyone. Only He can do that. He knew when He gave up his life on the cross some would continue to spit and hiss at him. He knew they would reject Him, yet, He did it anyway.

Give Credit to Where Credit is Do

I am getting ready to start a bible study on the book of Daniel for our church and in preparation for that my eyes fell on these verses once again. What was written centuries ago still remain true today.

After approaching the throne of God and asking for an answer to the earthly king's request this is the response Daniel gave to God.

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever, wisdom  and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells in him. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king." ~Daniel 2:20-23 NIV

 

As tempted as I am to break this down and write a piece on all that we can get from these three verses, I will not. However, there are two things that struck me among the many.

 

1. When we ask God for things and when we seek Him, do we expect to hear from Him? Daniel needed an answer by sun up. If no answer came, they were all going to be killed. Instead of panicking about it, he went straight to the source. God Himself. Do we do that? And if we do, how do we respond. Scripture tells us after receiving the message Daniel spoke these words listed above. He then sent word to the king. In his response to the king, he gave God the credit. Do we do that? Or do we want others to think we did it on our own?

 

2. God changes the times and seasons (we are beginning Fall a great reminder God is still in control).  When He created this world he made a cycle for Nature to follow and it is still on course. But keep reading...He deposes of kings and raises up others. Now if you pick up a paper or turn on the news you see all the faces of those wanting to be our next leader. If you look deeper in the paper and watch longer on TV you see this same event is happening all over the world. Some do so peacefully and orderly while others kill one leader to have another leader serve. My point is this, God still controls who and when and how this world will be led. Like it or not. Daniel served under several kings in this lifetime. I am sure he liked some better than others. How did he do it? He served God and then the king. He had a peace and a confidence about his day to day life. He worked for an audience of One. So do you and I. Also, just as Daniel could rely on God for all his needs, so can you and I.

 

If interested in the bible study. It is at our church, Lancaster Alliance Church 210 Pitney Road, Lancaster across from Costco. We begin this Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. till 8:30 p.m. It is the Beth Moore's Women's Study on Daniel. It runs for 12 weeks. I would appreciate your prayers as the women take this study and as I facilitate it.

 

Now just for fun to close the day. I sensed yesterday and today, two different times to take my camera out to the sunflowers. I didn't want to either time because they are starting to wilt and die. Yet the presence was strong to do so. I got my camera and to my surprise I captured the following. I should never be surprised by God, yet I still am. I am loved and so are you! He does the little things from time to time just to see you smile. This butterfly has stayed around for several days. Gold finches are very jumpy and hard to get pictures of.

 

 

What are your little things?

A day this week I was tending to my flowers. I was about to water our hanging basket when something caught my eye. I noticed once branch was wilted and little white flakes were on it. Upon closer inspection I saw aphids had moved in. They are tiny, tiny, little green bugs. They line up on the stem of a plant and slowing start robbing the plant of its moisture. Left untreated they will kill the plant.

I immediately got my spray out because these little ones love the rose bushes as well and went about spraying. The following morning what I found caused me to take a second look. Thousands of little green bugs lay dead on the porch bench as well as on the porch. I swept them up and the following day there were even more. I had no idea how many aphids one plant could hold. Usually when you spray they fall off into the green grass so you don't see them. I was taken back by how many were on the plant. For three days I found bugs. My plant however is looking much better. The leaves aren't curling and the flowers are drooping.

As I was sweeping the porch the idea came to me of how those tiny little bugs worked together slowly to rob the plant of life. Isn't that just how Satan does things are well? He rarely comes in boldly pulling you away. No. It is the little things.

For example: you wake up fully intending on opening your bible and having your morning coffee. You go to make coffee and realize you are out. So you go to the fridge and make a note on the grocery list. While on the list you see a few other items you need and keep adding. While heading to make tea now that you don't have coffee you see the newspaper on the counter that you didn't finish from yesterday and so you begin to read. After finishing the newspaper you realize you better start the laundry if you hope to have it all done before the kids come home and you need to help with homework or run them to their activities. You start the laundry and use the last cupful of detergent. You are back at the list and add it. Only to realize you better just make a quick run to the store. While in line you see a friend that you need to catch up with and the conversation takes longer than you realized. You get home to see that you better grab a little lunch before it gets any later and you are tempted to start snacking because you didn't eat lunch. After lunch you feel a bit sleepy so you decide to take a 15 minute nap. What can it hurt? You wake up 40 minutes later, switch the laundry and start supper prep. While things are simmering you take the dog for a quick walk and see a neighbor. They ask you to watch their place while they are away this coming weekend and you are glad to do it. You come inside to write a note about the weekend and the phone is ringing. You take the call and finish dinner. That evening after running the kids and asking your spouse about his or her day, and folding laundry while doing it, you see the devotional still sitting on the table, waiting. You are too tired from your busy day, you say to yourself, "I better wait till tomorrow, it will mean more then". "I am too tired now and won't remember what I read anyway." Not a problem but I just described a normal day. You find that the next day is just as busy and the next and the next. Before long it is weeks since you opened your bible and spent quiet time with God.

Or maybe you are watching TV at night. A show comes on that while watching it you feel that you should change the channel. But everyone at work tomorrow will be talking about it and you certainly want to fit in. Or you need to watch it so if the conversation comes up you are prepared to some how share your beliefs with them. That is fine, it very well could but weeks after watching the show the opportunity never does come up and you now find the show enjoyable and look forward to it each week. You even aren't bothered by it and once again we are just a bit more numb to the things we as Christians are to run from.

One final example. You start going on social media and comparing your life to what people post. You know full well that they only post the good stuff because no one wants to share when things are going bad. They post the best pictures of themselves and all the recent things they have done or are going to do. You say it doesn't bother you and for some it really doesn't. I love social media to a point, but you need to be careful with it. Anyway, you gradually start acting different. You start wanting what they have. You start spending money when you don't have it. You no longer enjoy what you have because it isn't like theirs. After while you even become angry and may feel unloved because your life isn't their life. I have news for you....given the chance to switch with them. Taking the good that you see and the bad you don't see. You would keep your stuff any day.

You see Satan is busy. His time is running out. He may not be able to claim you as his own, but by golly he will keep you distracted and busy at all possible costs. For you see, if you spend time with God and walk with God. Listen for his still Voice and read His Word. You find that He is all you need. You will crave more and more time with Him and less and less with what this world has to offer. You will work on things that are eternal instead of here today gone tomorrow. You will be known for your honesty, integrity, and willingness to help others.

If left unchecked, the little things will eat at your very soul and before long you will wilt from exhaustion of keeping up with the Jones of your life and you will have your head down instead of looking up.

I think it is time we look at our lives and make those small changes so that the little things can't take hold of our lives. I am speaking to myself more than anyone else. Don't let Satan rob you of your Joy! God is waiting to do a bit of gardening. Let him cut away the dead, prop up the hurts and eventually heal them. A plant does best if you dead head the blooms and keep the weeds away. Is there anything that needs cut out or weeded so it doesn't take root? Ask the gardener to show you where to start.

It has been awhile....

I can hardly believe it has been this long since my last post. I think I am ready to start writing again. However, it may be a bit different this time. I tried to write every week and that worked for awhile. I am thinking this time I will write as I feel the thoughts and ideas come. That may be several times a week or I may only post once a month. I have had thoughts running through my mind lately and each time I sense that would make a good post. So, I am giving it another shot. I will continue to post an update on Facebook when I post, but for those of you following who are not on Facebook, maybe just check every few weeks. I fear I may have lost some of you since it has been so long. My apologies. I think this first post will be filled with some highlights from summer since this is the first of September and Fall is upon us. I hope you enjoy the pictures and that you had a blessed Summer.