Land That I Love

"God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home."
~Irving Berlin

Join Hands

When my little butterfly (third of 4 daughters) was seven, she wrote a poem that was published in the Sunday newspaper.

I treasured her poem in my heart... as I treasured its meaning in my intentions... as I worked to develop this little darling into the woman God wanted her to become.  She wrote it the year our family began an adventure in home education that would last for over 14 years. 

One night, near the end of our first week of school-at-home, I announced to my prince that I had fallen in love with our children all over again.  The first 3 girls had been launched each morning onto a bus for several years, and the school had become their family for most of the day, the teachers were the daytime mommy, the bus drivers the aunts and uncles, the classmates the siblings.  But I didn’t know this until that first week...the week we joined our hands, our hearts, and our heads...the week our home became school...the week God became principal, Mom and Dad teachers, and Siblings became classmates  -- and friends for a lifetime.

My little butterfly was the middle child...quiet, determined, sometimes looking a little lost in her quietness. This little girl loved touch, so we hugged a lot. We invented hugs for every occasion. That is how I made sure she was noticed and acknowledged.  She was and still is the best hugger I know.  And you know what else? She became a pediatric nurse when she grew up, attending to little children in the same hospital where she was born.

You, who are teaching little people... hear ye , 
hear ye!

Look for those little sparks of interest in your children and gently blow on them, giving  them oxygen and fuel, remembering always that there are three major roles in your task and each one must do his/her own part. 

God. You. The child.
Each joins in the great and awesome project of taking the little sparks which join other little sparks to create a flame.

I love you, Vanessa!

My little butterfly hugging her niece.

Stop, drop & write. It’s #FiveMinuteFriday ! <—–Click to Tweet this

Where a beautiful crowd spends five minutes all writing on the same topic and then sharing ‘em over here.

How to Join:

Want to know how Five Minute Friday got started and how to participate? All the details are here.

Home-schoolers might also like to hop: HERE

What Are YOU Looking At?

As I looked down today, I saw a mess.

Then I looked up.

I can't always see the building from the materials, but God can.  If you are struggling with a mess today, I encourage you, look up!

Step

In 2011 I was challenged to choose a word to focus on for an entire year.  Having recently entered a new phase of life, I chose the word OPEN.  It is amazing how many times I thought of this word before making a decision. As it turned out, "Open" was operative!

This year's word is STEP...as in step out, step in, take a step.

The first step...

I didn't choose this word, actually, it chose me.  But I accepted it -- which reminds me how I came to God.  He chose me, but I accepted.  It is fascinating, isn't it, when we look back at all the events in our lives that happened because we took the first step?

I look forward to this year's steps, admittedly, with some trepidation.  It is my MO to wait until I'm sure before I take steps --  not entirely a bad thing:

"The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps." Proverbs 14:15

With wisdom from above, enabled by a loving Lord, my steps are firm. I look forward to the walk, and I wonder where the path will lead.

One thing I do know; I know who is walking beside me. And, as evidenced by this chart, where the foot goes, the whole body goes!

"Father, walk with me as I step out, step in.  Make my steps firm.  Make them count.  Help me bring peace wherever I trod."

Love, Becky

If you liked this post, please click the following link to step over to a place I love to go; and read about other word choices.

http://theletteredcottage.net/word-of-the-year-link-party-2012/

  

Create Away!

The third week of the Trek of Trust has me thinking about "time" in relation to God.

Many years ago, one of my young children was perplexed by concepts like God's foreknowledge, and God's "plan" VS our freewill; she also wanted to know, "Who created God?"   When pondering how to answer her,  I realized that God CREATED TIME, as well as everything else.  He lives outside of time.  Time is within the confines of his creation;  it is for us, like Earth is for us, and air, water, and fire.  Sun, moon and stars, height, breadth ,depth and space are all within creation's realm and all are subject to time.

I think many perplexities can be answered by this understanding.

We live our lives on Earth, subject to the" rules" of creation and the reality of corruption.  We exist moment by moment, while God sees the entirety of time -- beginning to end.  He saw all of our moments before one of them was lived.  He knows how the story turns out before it is experienced. (I believe this is one reason we do not see him " intervene" as we would like.) We experience suffering, love, joy, rest, peace, fear, hope -- all these are subject to his "rules," his artistic and divine organization.

Death, too, is one of the "rules" to which we must submit.  But is death the end of us?  As long as people have existed, they have wondered what happens after life is over.  And few have experienced it and have lived to report back to the living.  Many who have faced the end have told of seeing their life in a flash.  Isn't that interesting?  If we saw our lives in a flash, we would see how the things we are worrying about work out.  We would see the cause and effect of our decisions -- we would see as God sees.  Perhaps, we would relax about some things and change others. 

The Bible reports that Lazarus found out.  So did Jesus.

I believe the testimony of those who came close to the end of life, and those who died and came back demonstrates that when our physical life ends...we do see.  Time as we knew it ends, which means we go on.  But what do we see next?

There are those who do not believe there is a creator.  Their belief, I think, is that the time of our lives is subject to rules that came together because they worked.  Billions of years of trial and error, and success of certain elements, brought the organization and interdependence of all into being.  I used to think that too.

But there is much to be explained with that viewpoint as well. There is the fossilized  tree that stands upright in the strata of rock, and "the chicken and the egg," too!  There is still a life to be lived and a death to be experienced.

And then what?

Both viewpoints require tremendous faith! One in a loving and all-wise creator who lives outside of time; the other in random success of what came into being out of nothing.  For the one who does not believe in God, it stands to reason that she must live for self, and self-preservation is paramount.  Even giving and loving has a selfish motive underlying.  A person with no God must be her own creator, or must create another god.  And if she doesn't serve self, she is foolish...she limits the success of the fittest.  It wastes time. 

TIME as a creation of the Creator answers a lot of questions -- even the question of the age of things and how long they took to come into being. Either way we look at life, time is a reality we see and to which we are subject. Then, believe in God or not, our time on Earth ends.  How should that time be spent is the question.  Subsisting?  Serving?  Working? Loving? --  Who decides? 

For me, time is spent being a creation in progress.  I am the painting, the sculpture, the building, the landscape, the pot in the hands of the potter.  I do not know the purpose or reason for every moment lived, but my creator does.  I do not know my end, but he does.  He saw it before I began.  Ahhh, peace.!  I don't have to be the god of my life!

Either way one believes, each moment, each day we live -- the time of our lives is subject to something -- purpose, selfishness, or randomness.  I choose to believe in and be subject to the King of Creation. (It has always been difficult for me to admit that my life is for God's glory, that every decision is not in my hands.  But thinking in terms of a creator, it is easier to understand and appreciate.)  I am paint, clay, flesh in His care.  This brings peace, rather than striving; hope rather than fear.

Come what may.  I will trust you, Father.  You are a great artist!  Your creation is beautiful.  Create what brings you glory.  I'm looking up.  I'm looking at you. My time is in your hands.  Create away!

A Dove Named Angel Shares Her Truth

I've been watching a dove.

She is courageous and capable and has used her God-given instincts to fulfill her purpose on Earth ... to bring more like herself to maturity, and to teach me a lesson.

I named her Angel, because she watches over Bob's grave, my home, and her chicks from our Arizona Sweet Orange tree.

Angel has been watching me, too.

She's waited for me to bring treats to the door (in the form of cat food).

 

She's gathered her nest-building supplies from my lawn and she has sipped from the little frog pond that she shared with Bob before he died.

Last week, I moved the "pond" to a spot right below her nest. A few days later, while watering plants, my grand daughter spied Angel sitting proudly in her nest with two chicks.  She sat like a statue, only a few feet above our heads, looking at us from her soft, blue-ringed eyes while we filmed her splendorous domicile made of woven sticks .

                                                 

Today, I checked for her.  The nest was empty. Later I saw her under the shrubs with her chicks, teaching them how to be working doves   -- how to watch the door, stay cool, and safe.


I know it won't be long before Angel says good-bye to nest, chicks and me. But she will leave an impression on us for a long time.

Here is her lesson:

There is purpose to our life on Earth. We share our space and resources with other beings.  We gather supplies for our projects.  When our projects are finished, we move on. 

Beak-knit nests are only temporary.  Food types and sources of sustenance can change, move, or disappear.  Our bodies are "knit" in the womb to last but for a time. And they are made just right to fulfill our purpose.

Life on Earth is always changing; things are growing,  living, dying. Nothing stays the same forever on Earth...not even a statue remains forever.

Only one thing is permanent, sure, and true -- the constant care of Earth's creator.   
Our times are in his hands. 

 

Hope Blooms on the Stem of Trust

Day 5 on my August Trek of Trust finds me picking metaphors from the garden.   

Like a garden,  trust needs an object -- a point of focus, a place for the eye to rest.  Here the focal point is a rock.  It is not easy to move and is not damaged by sun, drought or frost. It is still there when the flowers fade or die. A focal point draws attention and holds it long enough for the eye to perceive what is around it. But it never changes or loses its presence, its hold, its steady stature. Just like God.

My idea to set aside August for a concentrated practice of trusting God, came from a desire to be rid of fearing the unknown, a desire employ the power of focus to grow in trust instead of fear.  Really, who wants to focus on the things we fear?  Who wants to continually look at the object of our fear?  Why to we do that?  I need the rock for my eye to rest.

Last week, I found myself tending my mother's beautifully planned garden. The grass was full of weeds.

I have to admit...I LOVE dandelions.  They are startlingly yellow, attracting my attention right away. (Before Jim mowed the extensive lawn, I rescued about 50 of them, stuffed their stems into a glass of water on the kitchen table, planning to feed them to my hens as treats.)  Dandelions have a revered place. But in the lawn, they are weeds, and if they are not removed, they will take over.  How like my fears they are:  Useful in their place...but if allowed to take over  -- well, they would take over! 

So here ends day 5.  I've been reminded to look upon the steady focal point of my life...the one that brings order to the chaos and hope to life on Earth and beyond -- the one that stays put

                                 --God.

 I am walking on the trek SURROUNDED by his beauty.

And I have found that HOPE blooms on the stem of trust.

    And it is good.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight"

Proverbs 3:5-6

Big Bad Bobcat...RIP

August 1st  sends me into a reflective mode.  Our 11 year old cat, Bob, breathed his last kitty breath this morning.  He was but a fraction of his former self as he lay, bony, submissive and soft, while Rachel, the family rock, and I attended the end at the vet's office. With our hands gently upon him, he entered a relaxation that protected him from pain, and then came the end of his life.

Here, about 10 years ago, he stretches, full of vigor and kitty- handsomeness.  We enjoyed his scratchy voice,flat-topped eyelids and his blubbery laziness.

Oh Bob was not perfect.

But he was handsome and commanded his own space with the heart of a lion.

When they first arrived into his territory, our grandchildren developed a healthy fear of his personal space, taking wide sweeps as they passed him by.  Over the years, however, they braved nail and tooth to win his confidence. And recently even held him in their arms.

Bobster was known for his greatest pleasure -- eating.  As he matured, however he became famous for sharing his food with the dove we called " Bob's pet".  Robert would lay contentedly only feet away from his birdie friend while the feathered thief stole his kibble. Today I am certain Bob's pet dropped a feather instead of a tear.

He now rests in the garden where he used to cool his belly, and sometimes pee.  A feather and some pretties marking the spot where we touched him last. We also decided that it would honor Bob if we left his pet the final bowl of food to enjoy above where he lay.   We will all miss Bobby-boy's fat and furry stripes at the door, his squinty- eyes demanding his rightful two squares a day.

And I will remember the thing that the end of his life reminded me:

We touch one another, we love.  We breathe in and out, the air in our lungs and the beat of our hearts are a gift.  Each day is a present to open and enjoy for what it is.  

So this first day of my Trek of Trust, after Bob breathed his last and was tucked lovingly into a curl in the heart of the earth, after flipping through the sharp edges of  four boxes of old friends, family, babies, little girls, weddings, birthdays and trips -- looking for photos of him...I am reminded that it is the living things that we touch and love and hold that matter most on Earth.  

To everyone reading this I say.  LIVE, live well; breathe the precious air around you, and with your heart beating in your chest --  LOVE other living things while you are able. And thank God for his precious gift.

Good bye Bob.  Thanks for the lessons.

Opportunity to Take a Trust Trek / The Plan

I am thinking that August will bring many opportunities to trust.  So I am planning a Trust Trek.

I love home and home-based things, like family, decorating, gardening and now raising chickens.  I also love being safe.  And home is safe.  Anyone who knows me well, knows I'm a homebody, and might be surprised that I'm planning a journey.
But there are threats to life everywhere, even at home.  (There is that asteroid that my brother says could be heading my way! Thanks Jeffrey!)

I have been passing on a nugget of truth to my peeps and now it is time for me to listen to my own truth and put it to the test.  Here it is:

OUR WEAKNESSES ARE MISAPPLIED STRENGTHS.

What are your weaknesses?  Think about the opposite to each one to find a strength you are not applying correctly.

My greatest weakness is fear.  I don't fear everything, I fear threats to my safety: physical, emotional, financial. Why?  Because too often I think I am in control.  Why? Because I think I am safe with me in control;  I'm a good, wholesome control-freak with personal integrity; I'm smart, and tenacious...  Ahh, but that's where I let myself down...I'm not good at everything; I don't have all the answers; and sometimes I don't even like me. ( Interestingly, I'm not afraid of spiritual threats, because I KNOW I'm not in control of that battle!)

If I apply my own truth, that means my biggest problem is that I am misapplying great faith in God's path for my life and his ability to be my present and faithful guide.   OOPS!  Did I just go my own way and get lost!

" Where are you, Father?
Right where I left you?
Okay here I come!
I'm on my way back through the woods to your side...
How long have I been gone this time?"

So I plan to take an open trek of trust this August.  On my journey, I will combat every threat to my "safety" with faith in God.  And I plan to hold myself accountable to share the details here. 

I hope you check on me to see how it goes.  I have a good teacher. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3: 5-6

"I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.

But I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.

But I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing us of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.

But I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

But I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.
I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

Refrain: today's language

I know in whom I believe and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've
committed unto him against that day"

Words: Dan­i­el W. Whit­tle, in Gos­pel Hymns No. 4, 1883.
Music: James Mc­Gran­a­han (MI­DI, score).

Curl Up With God

Even a Shepherd puppy knows that the best place to rest is in the lap of God.

Who wins -- God or Baal?

Today I sought instruction and encouragement from God regarding our business situation.  Ours is the same story as millions of others across our great country: higher costs, fewer customers --a  threatened desire to thrive, stay in business, grow, and bless employees and clients.

But since I have access to the Chief Operating Officer of Creation, I sought his advice.  Again.

His advice was the same. Again.

"Trust me." 

A number of  times he has pointed me to Deuteronomy, chapter 8.  This is a passage reminding Israel that He led them in the desert for 40 years in order to humble them and test them, causing them to hunger and then feeding them with manna... a previously unfamiliar food...to teach them that "man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord;"  to discipline them as a father disciplines his son.  He cautions them to remember when things are good, when food is plenty, when all they have is multiplied -- NOT to think that it was because of their power, righteousness or integrity:  "But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.  He goes on to warn them not to forget the Lord and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, or they will be destroyed.

When I read this passage I am reminded that God is in control, he is the provider, he is to be worshipped alone, and that there is more to life than "bread," earthly sustenance.  It is both comforting and humbling to realise that God is in control.  It takes pressure off of me to make things happen in my own strength and way.  However much I want things to go "well", they will go as He determines;  and this requires humble surrender to His will.

Back to the question:  what do I do in this business environment, Lord? 

Answer:
 I am your shepherd. Psalm 23:1        "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8   "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  2 Corinthians 12:8

This advice is opposite the advice the world gives.  The world says strive, climb to the top of the heap, be the best you can be.  The struggle I have is to choose to listen to the advice of the one who holds my times in his hands, or to do it myself, or worse, to rely on and worship false sources of comfort and gain.  The draw to follow other advice is ever present, and when the pain of it all nags for relief, it is tempting to try to make it go away.  But I am powerless when God does not give power.

Today, when I asked for guidance, he led me to another passage.  It is the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal.  1 Kings 18.  In a standoff between Elijah and King Ahab, Elijah instructs Ahab to assemble 450 of the prophets of the false god, Baal.  Elijah says to the people, " How long will you waver (dance) between two opinions?  If the Lord is God, follow him."  Then Elijah gives the people a chance to see God's power.  He challenges the prophets of Baal to offer a sacrifice and call down fire to consume it.    The prophets call out from morning till noon, dancing around the altar they made, but nothing happens.  Elijah taunts them to shout louder, and they do...they also wound themselves in extreme devotion, and rise to a frenzy but nothing happens. The false god is powerless.

So Elijah repairs an altar of the Lord that was in ruins, digs a trench around it and instructs the people to pour water on the wood, then he tells them to do it again,  and a third time until the water runs down to fill the trench.  He then  prays for God to answer him so that the people will know who has the power and that God  is turning their hearts back again."

"Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood , the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.  When the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ' " The LORD -- he is God!  The LORD -- he is God!" '

False gods, false hope, false dreams come to nothing but pain.  Only God, the LORD, the King of the redeemed heart can bring, fire to consume a drenched sacrifice, water in drought, answers to the seeking believer, and to the struggling business owner in 2010. 

"If the Lord is God, follow him." 

 The LORD -- he is God!  The LORD -- he is God!" '

"Thank you, Father, for your advice and discipline.  Cause my heart to turn ever in your direction.  I sacrifice my will to your perfect , loving plan." Amen

Love,
Your Daughter      

Not To Fear

I've been struggling with fear.  How long? Well, most of my life.  I think it has a lot to do with having a desire to understand and control the things that interface with my decisions and their consequences.  And though I think God has given me an ability to analyze and think well, I have a tough time making decisions when they will affect me in some way.  In other words: I am afraid of making mistakes that will cause me pain. "Buyer's Remorse" My mother tells me that I was fearful as a child. (  But I only remember being afraid at night when I was alone upstairs and the rest of the family was together downstairs.) I recall one night when my brother, John, showed me each and every nook and cranny of my room so I was sure I was safe!  I think what made me feel safe that night was knowing my brother understood that I was afraid, but he wasn't.  His courage gave me courage.  As a child of God I am instructed NOT to fear, but instead to trust.  God wants me to know that every nook and cranny of my life is within his sight, reach, and control ; that anything that happens will be utilized for my ultimate good.  This is comforting.  So keeping this truth in the forefront of my thoughts and behavior is essential in order to obey his command to trust.  The piece I might be missing (since I am unable to maintain trust) is a clear grasp of God's understanding of my fear and an unshakable trust in his strength. If that is true, how would he have to teach me not to fear?  I suppose I would need to continually experience His strength to handle things.  This is where faith comes in.  God has given me faith in his strength, but in order to experience that strength, I need to see and acknowledge my weakness, see myself fail, and find Him as my rescuer.  IE: step into the rushing waters. So I will place myself continually at the feet of His throne and trust in his incomparable strength and mercy. "God, I know you are able when I am not able.  Thank you for revealing where I am weak, so that I may see your strength.  " Amen