Life on Loan

The view was picturesque. The fields livening the wintered countryside with young green wheat. Stately pines standing like centuries. Rolling hills. Not a cloud in the blue sky. The sun spreading its late afternoon beams before the close of the day.


As I took in the beauty of the moment, the words of this majestic hymn began to play through my mind.

" I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise; 

That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies...

As I reached the last verse of this song, the words struck me in a way that they had never before.

 "Creatures that borrow life from Thee are subject to Thy care..."

Creatures borrowing life? I had never even considered that my life is borrowed from God.

When God created man, He breathed His own breath into him, supplying him with life. So, our breath, which is our life, comes from God.

Every- breath- I take, comes from God.

Imagine.

God gave me life. I take the breath that He has so graciously given me, and use it to dishonor Him. Oh, the horror...

"How?" you might ask. How many times have I wasted borrowed breath to satisfy selfish desires, speak thoughtless or senseless words that I would give anything to take back... Oh, how many precious moments have been frittered away with the inconsequential... How many times emotions have been wasted over trivial matters... It seems that I, or might I dare say, we completely miss the reason why our lives have been loaned to us...

--------

Father, please let me not waste the precious life that you've loaned me. Let my life, my every breath, give honor to You.

Sunday School... A Lesson

It was a golden Sunday morning. My family and I were up early and off we went to the park.
As we strolled along, we took in the scenes of the morning and the sound of the river flowing quickly beside us.

This must have been one of those days that brings " the exerciser" out in folks. The trail was teeming with bikers, walkers and runners. Some people walked with quick, energized steps. Runners flew by at record speed. Still others huffed and puffed looking as if they were hardly going to make it.

As we got deeper into the trail, less people were seen. The trail was getting more and more scarce. Funny, isn't it? (But that's not my point.)

After some time, coming down the trail toward us was a little girl walking a little dog. She was all alone. No seeming guardian was in sight. Hmm... that's strange. I wonder where her parents are?
As we got closer, I saw her face. It wore a scrunched up, pained expression. I sure hope she's okay, I thought, and we passed her by.

{ I've lost my mom and I can't find her!}

"Hold on, let me make sure she is alright." My mom did a 180° and went over to her.
" Is everything okay?" my mom asked.
" I've lost my mom and I can't find her!" the poor little girl moaned.

Lost. This 8 year old  girl was lost, left alone in a wide- open and unprotected place.
And what had I done? Passed right by her just thinking, "I sure hope she's okay."

I learned my lesson. We walked with her and helped her search for her family until they were found.
                                                                  ~

How many people do we pass by who are lost and searching?  They are looking for some caring person who will direct them to our Heavenly Father by being the hands and feet of Jesus.
Will you pass right by or offer them help?

Fastened

As you already may know, I live on a lake. On this lake there is a dock. Lately, there has been  a tremendous amount of rain.  I mean, its been raining for days!  ( Not normal August weather...)  I customarily look out the window every morning when I first wake up to "check out" the lake. I do this to observe the character of the water or maybe even catch a glorious sunrise over the lake.   Yesterday morning I did the same thing but... there was no dock.  Only a chair.  As a result of the rain, the water had risen and completely covered the dock. 

Good thing that chair is screwed to the dock. I thought. Or else it would have floated away!\

Even with the water running over the dock and coming up around the chair, the chair could not move. 

                                    ~ 

How about when the rains of life pound on us? When temptations, issues, and the difficulties of life just don't seem to let up? Will you be run over and float away?
We need exactly what that chair in the middle of our little lake possesses. 

A dock.  A solid, unmovable foundation. Something on which we can fasten ourselves in the middle of the relentless rains of life, so that we cannot float away.

We need Jesus.

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
 ... The foundation of God stands sure. When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away,
but the those who follow God have a lasting foundation. **

Jesus told a story long ago...
“Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 
“But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:47-49)

Will you make Jesus your foundation?


~Written by guest contributor Jade M










* 1 Cor. 3:11; Proverbs 10:25

Don't Look Back

I'm sure I'm not the only one who sometimes gets tempted to think that following Christ isn't really worth it.   I mean, is it really worth the time, effort, and sacrifice? Life appeared easier when I did whatever I wanted, said whatever came to my mind, acted anyway I felt. You know how thoughts can go, if life was only as it used to be... 

Often in life, when things aren't going as we might like, isn't it tempting to look back? Ah, peeking back at the past when things seemed easier...

~

Hungry, tired and wondering what they had gotten themselves into.  Israel was following God who was leading them from being slaves to... where again?

The Tempter comes and whispers,
" Remember how life was before you decided to  follow God? Life was great!  Where do you think you are going anyway? Why trust God and waste time thinking He is going to care for you? Imagine how much easier things would be if you just went back home..."

They fall for the temptation and now long for the life they left behind. They complain, they regret. They become sick and dissatisfied of following God in faith. They cry for what they were used to, earthly sustenance.  Looking back, they lose trust.

~

Satan has extreme pleasure when he can get us to look back to our old ways of living before we knew God. Yes, life may have seemed easier. Satan always wants to make it seem that following God is tedious, sad and worthless compared to his deception that his own ways are bright, happy and easy.  It may even appear this way at first glance. But following God is worth it! He is always beside His followers, giving us real happiness, strength to not fall to temptations, love for Him and for others. There are sometimes challenges, but He is right beside us to give strength. He really does change lives.

Don't look back.


Image from Freefoto.com

Saved

Good morning world.


I tumble out of bed on this beautiful Sunday morning- ready to get started for the day. I greet my family good morning.

And a good morning to our unexpected guest as well... 
Just outside the front door sits a snake underneath the netting of our blueberry bush, (put there to keep critters out)  eating our blueberries for breakfast.

Daddy decides that Mr. Snake's breakfast time is over and he's got to go. It is then I realize that this snake is caught in the netting. I mean he is really stuck. 

My dad, sister and I take to releasing the tangled snake.

Scratched, torn skin, uncomfortable. All just to get to eat the forbidden fruit.
Yet, he was saved by caring hands who untangled him from what he brought upon himself.

trying to get all the netting off

he's not comfortable...

Scratched, torn, in great distress. All because of trespassing and eating forbidden fruit.*

Yet, saved by Christ's loving, caring hands who frees us from entanglement and death.

free!


* Gen 2:9,16-17
Gen. 3:1-6

Only a Crack...

"Oh no!" My sister shrieked from the basement of our home.

What in the world happened? I thought, while finishing up my evening chores before my family's scheduled "family time".

"What happened?" My mom called.

"There are ants everywhere in the corner near Joey's food!!!"

The dreaded ants- again. Would they ever leave?

We have fought this whole season, trying to keep their armies away. The exterminator has come more than once but somehow they still find some nook or cranny to wedge themselves and enter.

We soon found out, much to our frustration, that the ants were not just on the floor, walls, ceiling, and doors, but also inside a container full of almost 52 lbs. of newly purchased dog food! How did they ever get in that airtight container? My sister came to the conclusion- it was all my fault. I had not properly sealed the container forgetting to close the latch on the lid that morning after I fed our dog breakfast. Consequently, these eager, zealous ants took full advantage of this grand gormandize.

One latch left open. That was it... Or was it?

All it took was to leave a lid unsealed to result in a gross (in more ways than one) infestation of those little foul beasts. That's all they needed- one tiny opening.

What if our lives were a container? ( I, know, it sounds strange:)
But think about it, any little crack opened could be making room for infestation of things that are not good.

Little things.
Lying every once in a blue moon, of course, only when it's convenient. Knowingly talking rudely about someone for a good laugh or to be accepted and not seen as "weird".  Surely that's not so bad. 

These spaces, seemingly ever so small, open cracks in our hearts that only give room for wrong and more wrong.

Close the cracks... or else...

Outlook

"Rain, rain, go away
Come again another day..."

We all have heard this English nursery rhyme countless times.

But really, I question, when will the rain go away?

Monday began. Sunny.  Then rain.

Tuesday. Threateningly cloudy but, thankfully, no rain.

Wednesday. Heavy, blinding rain.

Torrential Thursday, once again there is rain.

Friday, rain, rain, more rain. Is the rain here to stay?

Saturday, no rain.  Yes! Maybe it has gone away for another day.

I guess not.  Sunday, rain. 

Today, rain again.

Six out of eight days- rain.

I really enjoy sunshine. The rain can be dreary. But I decided that my outlook is most important, especially when circumstances are not as I would have them. 

I can see an inconvenience or I can see a blessing. 

Outlook.  A mental attitude or view. My outlook makes all the difference.

This reminds me of story...
 
{God assured Israel that He would give them victory in conquering Canaan.}

Twelve spies were sent from the Israel, scouting out the country of Canaan to see the land and how they would conquer it. Ten of the twelve spies returned to Israel with very negative, fearful reports. " The people are too big and the cities are too strong. We can never conquer the land." They were scared.  The spies discouraged the people from even attempting to conquer, and the people listened.

Two spies return with joyous news. They saw everything that the other spies had seen, but instead they brought positive reports . They were full of faith. Their outlook focused on the promise of God. They were ready to enter into battle and clobber.

It is clear that outlook affects influence.  So instead of moping around waiting for the deluge to end, I stayed busy. My time was spent blessing others with music and ministry with a good attitude. And on days I didn't get out, I wrote this, which I hope is a blessing to you!