Those Monsters

Whatever is crossing the sidewalk in the dark?  

                         

          Coming home the other day in a literal downpour, I thought a stick had blown up on the sidewalk.  As I unloaded my bags into the house I noticed the "stick" had moved.  Hmmm.  Slowly, the orange salamander crept across the sidewalk making it's way into the bushes.   I can't say that I like creepy crawly slimy things that crawl across our sidewalk.  But you never know what the rain will bring.  

          Yes, you never know what the downpour will bring into your life.  It takes a lot of water coming down to bring the salamanders to your sidewalk.  I was thinking on this especially because it was such a wet day.  When the waters of adversity rise in our lives, "creepy things" in us come out for display.  Monsters like fear. Or dread.  Or anger.  Or .....  Those are just some of the monsters that come out of my heart and they aren't very pretty either.  The Lord has His ways of refining and polishing us and one of those ways is adversity or trial.  I so want to trust Jesus for His work in me and in others, but the real truth of my trust  comes out when I am pressed.   

          So, instead of gazing at the circumstances, I am choosing to gaze at Jesus to know Him deeper and fuller.  He says He is full of that marvelous faithful lovingkindness toward me;  He says He is in control of my life;  He says He works all things together for my good;  He says He is on my side;  He says He will never leave me;  He says He is full of mercy;  He says I have complete access to His throne;  He says He will comfort me;  He says His Word is my life;  He says He is good and brings me good;  He says He is my rest and security and refuge;  He says He is gracious;  He says if my foot slips He will hold me up;  He says I can camp underneath His wing.  And the list goes on and on.  When I speak these truths to my soul, something happens within.  Joy floods my soul even though the outward circumstances haven't changed and even though they become even more difficult.  Because this life is not about me, it is about bringing glory to Jesus Christ.  He receives glory when I gaze at Him.  My soul longs and desires to bring Him glory, even when life gets tough.  

          When the monsters come out I just go back to thinking on Jesus.  And He is near.  He doesn't allow monsters in His camp.  He chases them away.  What a Savior!                  K.C.

              

                                                           

The Cherubs

          Fourteen cherubs!  What a crew!  Amazing life ahead for them.  A fresh new year starting today!  God has plans for each of them that will give great satisfaction and joy in life and bring glory to Jesus.  They already have ideas and dreams about their direction in life.  Several want to be ranchers, some want to be mommies, some engineers, missionaries or teachers.  If they could only look ahead they might make a few different choices in life wouldn't they?  My prayer for them is to choose to focus on knowing God and loving Him.  That is pretty much what this blog is for - them.  As they grow up and face life that their Grandma's voice might encourage their love of Jesus.  They might choose to eat less, exercise more, study more, spend less, and countless other things.  But I desire that they love  God deeper each day, be forgiving, kind, patient, be grateful and less demanding of their own way, more concerned for speaking salvation to others.  Would WE choose God's plan and way instead of plowing ahead determined to succeed in this world?  Since they nor we can know the future and only God does, the wise choice would be to study God more, listen to Him more, trust Him more, follow His agenda.   What do you think?

          As the years continue to speed by, my heart narrows in what is really vital in life.  The world's success is fleeting at best,  its rewards and toys never enough, and it's satisfactions evaporate.  Telling my cherubs these things just sounds hollow.  They have to experience disappointments and failures in order to really understand that God's ways and truth are the way of life.  So my prayer for them is that they will see very early the difference between the perfect plan of God and the world's plan for them. That is my prayer for you and me as well.  Even at our age.   Because the love and plan of Jesus is so grand our hearts cannot even imagine it!                                                                                   K.C.

The Gift

          Tis the gifting season!   We give gifts at Christmastime, but giving gifts at random times can have much more surprise and joy.  Gifts can sometimes give special joy year round.  Each time I step out the front door I see this wire plant stand and smile.  I am again reminded of our lovely daughter-in-law's thoughtfulness.  Thoughtfulness, because the gift was for no special reason and also because she knew what I loved:  gardening.  Isn't it wonderful to be remembered for no special occasion!

          Christmas is a wonderful celebration of God's precious gift to us - Jesus.  His gift is not just for December but for eternity!  Jesus knows our great need, our pain, our troubles, our helplessness.  Sometimes we don't know it though.  The thoughtfulness and love of God is beyond description and totally enough to meet our need.  Totally enough to erase our sin and darkness.  Totally enough to take care of our eternity.  And He is able to use all these trials and sorrows in life for His glory and our good so that one day we will understand all that He was doing.  I am counting on it.

          Counting on God's great care is just what He wants.  He stretches me ever so far and grows my faith and trust in Jesus.  His Word promises me that His Christmas gift will forever be for me.  And His gift is for the whole year!  It never wears out or breaks, it is for no special occasion.  He is always thinking of me.  He goes before me, He comes after me.  How great is that?  Are you counting on His gift to you?  Are you surprised by His love?                                                                                  K.C.  

Holy Roof

                                                     

          Definitely, the birds needed a new feeding station!  But, alas, after we built a new one, it took them quite a while to not be suspicious of it.  The old one had character and was well used.  It fit the garden.  It wasn't scary.  Even if it had holes in the roof, it was home.  For weeks the birds refused to go near and eat from the new feeder.  Until the fall came the birds stayed away.  As the flowerbeds became bare, one by one, the birds ventured toward the platform to nibble.  Now they are flocking to it each morning.  

          This sure is a picture of us.  We like our habits, our settled life.  No changes for me, thank you.

I like security and safety, no surprises or unexpected change.  The problem is that life just isn't like that.  Wherever do we get stuck off track?  God's goodness and faithful care gets taken for granted, and then we forget the main point of life - Him.  We pay more attention to His gifts than to Him.  Our roof has holes in it.  God knows our heart, He knows our soul.  I think what He wants is for us to see our own heart.  When things are taken away that we depend on, our heart and soul are seen bare and open.  We see the truth about our true desire and our true need for depending on God.  Oh, for a heart that desires God alone!  A heart that depends on the Sovereignty of God.  I am coming to the conclusion that most of the trials we go through in life are to reveal what we really believe about God's Sovereignty.  He is in control, and is never out of control, of each detail of our life.   His desire is that we depend on His great love and care for our lives.  His goodness and plan will bring about His purposes for us.  He wants a holy roof for us!

          And His purpose for us is always good and for our best, right?                                      K.C.

New Life

          Precious new life!  This little cherub, Gage Loyal,  makes number 14 as well as 5 in heaven we are waiting to meet.  He will join his brothers in a flash running around the garden looking for "pillars" (caterpillars), bugs, and pinecones.  Life in the summer garden flies by quickly and then it is autumn again.  Our lives fly by quickly as well, and before you know it there are 14 grandchildren and you wonder, how did that happen!  I was just reading yesterday Psalm 39:4 - 6, "Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am.  Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.  Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain; he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them."  How we need reminding everyday what is truly important!    

          Lord, help me to "garden" these cherubs and point them to Jesus.  May Your love flow through me so that they see how precious You are, how much You love them, how amazingly awesome You are, and how much joy You are planning for them.  Help me use the days You have given for this very important task.                                                                                                                  K.C.

Dad's Boat

          Dad was an avid fisherman.  I mean AVID.  He was able to retire early so he could go fishing everyday, and he did.  Our freezer was always full of wonderful chinook and salmon, steelhead and crappie.  Dad used his small boat to do amazing things.  He fine tuned his motor to skim over 2 inch rapids and had the other fishermen jealous.  He was followed much of the time to his favorite holes because they wanted to know where he caught the big ones.  Dad usually talked to whoever was in his boat about Jesus.  The older he got, the more he talked, and the bolder he became.

          Isn't that how we should all want to be?  Fishermen that others want to follow toward the Master, our Lord Jesus Christ?   I desire to be good at what God has called me to do, so that by using that platform others will follow Jesus, too.  What is your platform?  Your hobbies and interests?  God is waiting for you to use them for His kingdom.  We make speaking for Jesus a separate activity in our lives.  God desires to go fishing with us so He is always present speaking through us.  

         Dad's boat now sits in our garden near the fort, and the grandchildren play all kinds of things in it.  We just couldn't bear to part with it.   Because, once again, the memories give us great cause to sing the praises of Jesus.                                                                                                          K.C.

Wagon's Precious Haul

         This old wagon hauled around a lot of precious cargo over the years.  That cargo of six has since grown up  and grown older, although it is still precious.  Many memories float through my eyes each time I view this old wagon.  You see, this is not just a wagon; it is a reminder of God's amazing goodness to our family.  Even though this cargo has long ago dismissed this wagon and moved into life, I still look on this wagon with gratefulness.  What opportunity, what privilege, what treasure, what love fills my heart when I look on it!  Young moms, take stock of your wagon.  The years fly by so quickly - fill your heart with memories that cause you to praise the Lord Jesus for His goodness to your family.  When you are filling your heart with these memories, it is much easier to look with eyes of thanksgiving and praise rather than complaining and nagging.  

       So, now we have a new wagon - a Gorilla.  That first cargo has their own precious cargo and do they like to fly around our garden on that Gorilla!  I am making brand new memories, and they don't know it, but they are making memories, too.  When Mema (that is me) is gone to heaven, they will chat around the table about zinging around the garden on the Gorilla.  May Jesus fill their hearts with joy and love and wonderful memories.  And may your heart be filled with memories that you are making, full of joy and grateful love.  Someday this Gorilla will be a relic in the flowerbed, too.  To remind them of God's amazing goodness to them.