Refresh

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins maybe wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord... Acts 3:19

A lot of golf this week. I am reading a new golf book that is refreshing my attitude, helping me turn away from some of the bad habits I have picked up over the last year or two. It is reminding me of lessons I have learned, and giving me new insight into practice and my game. I love it.
Today I am taking part in a retreat at my church. I am looking forward to a day that will refresh my spiritual journey. I hope to let this day help turn me yet closer to the Lord.
It may sound strange, but my week with this new little book on golf has set the stage for today. I know with focus I can turn away from old habits, lame ideas, miss use of time, poor choices.
I do the turning so changes can occur in my life.

Prayer Friday Psalm 65:9-13

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are cover with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. Psalm 65:9-13


Blessed Creator, Living Christ, Guiding Holy Spirit,
Hear my prayer.
Thank you for this week's rain. In the natural world, this Psalm fits like a glove. You have soften the soil, watered the pecan trees, wetted down the crops, filled the arroyos and river, greened the desert plants. My skin, nose, ears, eyes have felt the touch, smelled the moisture, heard the sounds and seen the wonder. Thank you.
Take me deeper into this Psalm to use it to water my soul and spirit. To soften me, level me. cover me, drench and crown me.
You flow in my life, I need your nourishing love. Thank you.
Amen

The Voice of God

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30;21



We are told to listen for the small, still voice. Do you have trouble hearing the voice of God? May I help?

I was just sitting out on the sun porch. The biggest of our three dogs let out a long, drawn out moan, so I put my book down to listen. Then I was aware of the sound of at least four different birds chattering way. Under that sound was the noise of a insect. Carrying all of that was a slight breeze. Then my sigh. It came to me so peacefully; I was listening to the sound of God. Not a big, loud shout, no trumpet...just God's voice in all of that.

Go out somewhere, filter out the bustle, listen. Just listen.

What you do about the experience is up to you, but do something. I smiled and came in to share it with someone I know God will send my way.

God bless you with peace and calm.

Monday Of Hope

May the God of your hope so fill you with joy and peace in believing (through the experience of your faith) that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Romans 15:13 (Amplified)



Back after a long while, or so it seems! I have been out of town and had some company so things have been busy.

During a round of golf, if you play as I do ;), you can be faced with a number of challenging shots. Seems as if all shots don't necessarily put you in a happy place for the next one. We even saw some of that over the weekend at the Masters! When this happens to my very good friend PL she approaches the disappointing lie with eternal hope in her heart. She always says...well, let's see what we can do with this one, how can we recover here? Love her hopeful nature.

I love the Monday after Easter. I like to spend this day looking for the situations in my life and the lives of those close to me to see the hope. There are a bunch this morning. One member of my family has been given great hope involving a medical problem. One is starting a new semester this morning. One is beginning a path to read the Bible while listening to it on tape. Two are starting baseball season at school. One of my best friends (she would kill me if I said my oldest best friend) welcomed her first grandchild this week. Hope is just bubbling up and overflowing, as I know that all of these situations have been prayed for and are the result of God's amazing and wonderful grace.

Look around you, where do you see the hope. Don't tell me there is none, it may be very small or look very insignificant, but it is there. Use this Monday to start over. Start over and look for the hope. How can you recover from the previous "bad shot"? You can, there is always hope. It is a grace from our Creator. God bless you today.

Golfing in the Wind

let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance...Proverbs 1:5

Supposed to play this morning, but when I went outside to check on the weather I was about blown off my feet. So I called and cancelled. I hated to do it as I haven't played in a week!! I don't mind playing in a little wind, but this is too much.

Actually, there are some tips you can use when playing in the wind. If you are playing in a headwind remember what Greg Norman said at the British open in 1996 (he won!) "Swing with ease into the breeze". I think he was quoting another great??? Good tips: 1) Select more club to decrease the height of the shot 2) Play the ball back in your stance 3) Slow down to 80% of your regular swing speed.

If you are lucky and have a tailwind remember: 1) Play the ball forward in your stance 2) hit it higher (less club) 3) remember it will roll on you.

Guidance and tips...we love them. In this busy Christmas season have you remembered to get out the book that gives the best guidance of all? Get it out and reread Luke. Please.

Prayer Friday 1 Corinthians 1:9

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:9

Lord, thank you for the many blessings you have given us in this life. We overlook so many, and refuse to see many, and forget to thank you for many.
Please help us to remember that Christmas is a walk toward fellowship with the Living Christ. Lead us deeper into that fellowship, closer to living our lives in your will.
We know, Lord, that you are faithful. You are always here with us. Help us, this Advent, to truly find you in our hearts, minds and spirits. Guide us to your peace and joy, and help us spread it into our homes and families.
In our Living Christ, AMEN.

A motive in the human heart is like deep water, and a person who has understanding draws it out. Proverbs 20:5

My Mother's very best friend died just a few moments ago. I know in the very fiber of my being and deep in my soul they are together right now. They loved and totally understood each other. They had different personalities, but absolutely, shared love and beauty in their souls. They were two of the most gracious women I have ever known. The deep waters of their hearts flowed with love.

The motive, or as another translation of this verse reads "the designs in a man's mind" should always be love. With love comes understanding and patience. As we approach Christmas through the Advent season, let's work on that. As we head toward the end of the year, let's put aside the busy, the past, the silly, the hurts. Let's look past the motives of the ego, ours and other's, past the motives of personalities, ours and other's. Let's look for, and find, the deep waters of love with which God has graced our souls. Let's slow down and be still and really look for the Spirit of love in ourselves and know that we will find it in others.

These two women left behind four daughters. May we four look on each other as love our Moms left behind on this side.

Thanksgiving Day Psalms 108:5

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be all over the earth. Psalm 108:5

I am so thankful that this is true. God's glory is everywhere. May God be with you today.

Pray With Me Friday: Psalm 9:10

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

Most loving Creator, Living Christ, Great Counselor hear our prayer.
You have surely blessed us with a beautiful day. Whether we have crisp, cold air, rain, snow, clouds or sunny skies we know You are there. We are blessed with the breath we take in, the sights of our eyes and the beat of our heart. Thank You for life. Thank You for a friend or many friends, for we know you have put them in our lives.
Lord, in those times we forget You or think we cannot feel Your presence, help us to remember this Psalm. You never forsake us. You are here with us now and will be with us forever.
Lord, let us be a light to this world, that those You bring to us see You shining in our lives and faces. Put in our mouths the answers to their questions about You. Let us turn no one away from You, because of our actions. We who know your love want all to know it.
In the name of our Living Christ, AMEN.

His Patients

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you. 2Peter 3:9

I am slowly getting back into shape after a while off from golf because of my ankle. Slowly getting back into shape after two many meals consumed on the trip to New York. Slowly getting the house back into shape after too many days away. I control the "slowly" in these sentences. I can speed all of them up by my actions or throw myself a curve and slow them down. I have done both.
How impatient do you get when you turn a problem over to God and it is not resolved quickly enough for your satisfaction? Do you stew, worry, whine, pout? Are you going thorough one of those waiting periods right now? Are you waiting for a healing in your body, mind, spirit; deep down in your soul?
"The Lord is not slow". Wait, pray, wait, pray. Your Creator loves you and will take care of you with love and grace in God's will. Don't count your impatiences as God's slowness.
Step out in faith that you are loved and God is and will be with you in every step.

Family Time

God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalm 68:6



I was in New York visiting family. I love and am loved in my family. Husband, three children, three grandchildren, a sister, two uncles and cousins, (most play or have played golf!). We have our off moments now and then, but for the goodly percent of time we are friends and always family.

"Most and goodly percent" are terms that apply to the degree of believers in our family. We have one or two that do not believe (right now). They will eventually, I have no doubt. These one or two are prisoners of their stubborn hold on some old baggage. We are a loyal family, sometimes holding on to things a bit too long.

I have faith that God is working in the hearts, minds and spirits of all our family to see that our "prisoners" are led forth singing. We will all be singing when that happens. We don't plan on leaving any one of us in the sun-scorched land of not knowing. We will all praise God in the light of love before this journey is over.

Prayer Friday

Who is this coming up from the desert leaning on her lover? Song of Songs 8:5

Loving Creator, Living Christ, Help of the Holy Spirit...
I am so blessed. Glory be for the beautiful creation you have set around us. Thank you for all the beautiful souls you have placed in my life.
May I please always recognize love and return it with care and tenderness in the Spirit. Where I fail to see love may I bring it to the situation, asking not why, but what would you have me do?
Please bless all who come to this page with open eyes, ears and hearts.
In the name of our Living Christ, through the Holy Spirit...AMEN

Reverence Of The Lord

He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. Isaiah 33:6



Sorry I have not been here. It has been a busy week. No golf as my ankle sprain is still bothering me. As I played through it in last week's tournament, I thought I had better treat it better this week. So ice is the name of the game. However, I have still had "places to go and people to see"! Today I help register the men playing in a tournament at our course. They donated a putter to our raffle, so this is gratitude day. Thanks fellows.

Gratitude day. Wouldn't it be nice if we treated every day as a "gratitude day"? If we payed special attention to being thankful for every little thing others do for us? Really meant our "Thank yous"?

I have spent much time this week thinking about how our Creator is the sure foundation of my life and how to share that with non-believers. How to recognize the chances God puts in front of me to witness. To explain that "fear of the Lord" means reverence not a boo/scare.

The closer we get to God, the easier it is to understand and soak in the wisdom, knowledge and love of our Maker. I want others to realize the joy of learning to sit still and just make their life open to the wonder of the Maker that made them.

May you take that time today; be filled with the wonder and love.

Walk In The Light

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1John 1:5

Sorry I have been remiss in writing. I was visited this week by my oldest and dearest friend. "Oldest" meaning longest, don't want problems in our friendship over terms! She came to town to play with me in a golf tournament. We had a great time. Lots of golf, food, laughter, talk. We wore ourselves out. That's the good news; I twisted my ankle and fell two days before all this happened, so my golf was pretty stinky. Hard to swing the club when you are anticipating the jolt of pain that will inevitably be visited upon you. Until you hurt your right ankle, you tend to forget how much weight you place on your right side :( Oh well, you always need an excuse when you don't win a tournament.
So today, after I run a couple of really necessary errands, I am going to have some devotional quiet time. First I am going to meditate on 1John 1:1-7. I am not going to beat myself up, however, I am going to look over the past week to see where I slipped out of the light. Either by getting too involve in what was going on around me and forgetting or by letting my frustration make me a little edgy so I was not as "nice" as I could have been.
I love my Creator and want to always keep that first in my sight. But I slip into forgetting so often. I will not dwell on lost opportunities while I go over this today, but I will remind myself how easy it is to slip into the shadows of life's walk. We are human and we lose our light every now and then, but God doesn't. That light shines on us all the time, we just have to step back on to the course.
Shine your light on me today, O Lord, and I will run to get into it.

Slow Down, Honey

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8

Played with the Thursday girls today, first time in 10 days. You should have seen me. I think it was such a beautiful day and I was so happy to be there that I just whipped through every swing. I mean at warp speed. Now if you are new to golf, I need to tell you this is not a good thing :( Your swing should be slow and easy. Just let the club head do the work. I was so fast on my swings I sware Sister Judy said "Slow down, honey". Kinda like "Whoa, Nellie". I finally listened, but I was on a fast roll there for a while.
So when I got home I thought I would get out my Strong's and see how the word "slow" was used in the Bible. Shows up 14 times and 10 of those have to do with anger or wrath. It comes down from a Hebrew root word meaning "long". So I need to take a long time letting my anger build. Maybe I can take so long I forget what I am upset about. Easy to do as my memory is getting shorter and shorter.
I love it when a thought on the golf course leads me to the Bible to look for a word or topic. So, today I found out I need to take a long time letting my back swing build and a long time letting it release for a good shot. I found out I need to take a long time thinking about what I am upset about and maybe I'll take so long to get angry, I won't :)

Work For The Correct Food

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the son of man will give you. John 6:27

This weekend the spouse and I played in a couples golf tournament. We were paired with a couple we had not previously met and were expected to "work" together to win the prize. It turned out we were a good team. When one of us faltered the other three picked up the load and carried on. We matched weakness with strengths, with laughter, understanding, and you know what we won!
Now winning a golf tournament is not something that is going to help us too far along the path towards eternal life. But the use of team work sure will. We used all the positive qualities and abilities God has given us to achieve a goal. We can take this same pattern and use it for much bigger things.
How beautiful if we would all pull together to work for the "food that endures". Jesus says that that work is "to believe in the one he has sent". If you are finding it hard to work alone on this job, then find a group. Get yourself a team. Join your seeking with others, the work is easier and certainly more joyous.

Sorry On My Lips, But In My Heart?

Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. Proverbs 22:17-18

Yesterday's golf format was a Scotch twosome. You and your partner each hit drives, then you pick the best one to play and alternate shots until you have putted out. My partner and I weren't having one of our best performances on the course. We had one spectacular hole, but that was about it. The two fun ladies with whom we played were in the same boat. All of us hit some beautiful shots, plus some very poor ones. Nothing is worse than messing up your partner's great shot with a really stinky follow up. I did it more than once. If the four of us said "I'm sorry" once, we said it fifty times. Finally, we all agreed to quit saying it. We knew we were sorry, and we were sure equal in the times we needed to pass the apology back and forth.
Three things came to mind later as I was thinking about the day.
One, how routine it became to say that phrase in the short time we played. How easy it was to say... ready on our lips. We really felt badly, wanted our partner to know it, and deep down were embarrassed and wanted to be forgiven.
Two, the apologies were for such a little thing in the big picture of our lives. I am really good at saying I am sorry over these little inconsequential golf shots. Good grief it wasn't for big bucks like the pros play for! Why is it so easy to say "I'm sorry" over the little things, not the big ones, if it is right there on our lips? Maybe I don't have the real ideal of forgiveness far enough down in my heart to be able to quickly apologise for my big mistakes.
Three, when you start really paying attention to a "saying of the wise" it is amazing how often it crops up in your life. Chances to apply it. We have been pondering forgiveness here for a while. Now I see it in little happenstances, like on the golf course, and in telephone calls from an old school chum who called this week to apologise for an occurrence that happened years ago.
The deeper in my heart I put the will of God, the more I let God's will work on me, the quicker it travels from my heart to my lips. How about you?

Waiting To Play The Course Psalm 130:5

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

There they are, all lined up waiting to be put on the carts, so they can play the course. I love to see the bags of the other golfers. Some so generic, some all fancied up. Of course they are not of much good until their player comes along and uses them. Just sitting there, looking cute.

What am I doing? Do I just sit around waiting for the Lord to come? Maybe not looking cute, but maybe...useless. Don't get me wrong, I love this verse, I believe this verse. My soul does wait, I wait. But are we just supposed to sit there?

I don't think so. I think along with the waiting we are here to be used, to be "played". Sometimes I get wrapped up in the waiting for God to show me something big that needs to be done. I forget that all the things I think of as little everyday duties or routines that are not so important, really are important. I need to remind myself that all the small "niceties" I do for others are a show of love and concern. A glass of water fetched, a sock picked up...a prayer said.

This week, while our souls wait, let's be mindful that every act of kindness we do for another is an act of love for one of God's creations. You have no one to help? You are laid up in that chair or bed? How about some prayers for your neighbors, helpers, our country, thank you for the birds, the sun, the air you breathe?

Let's wait for the Lord, let's put all our hope in his word. Let's let him play us while we wait.

Scattering Among Your Neighbors

Love does no harm to its neighbors. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10

My friend Judy and I were playing a twosome the other day and I brought my camera along. We had our usual fun and laughs, a little serious talk, and some conversation about applying Bible study to our everyday walk. I always come away from time spent with her with such a lovely feeling of peace and friendship. Real "you can talk about anything" friendship. She makes it easy to love your neighbor.

The picture above could be used for all sorts of Bible truths and stories. For Jesus talking about scattering seeds over the ground, or Old Testament stories about grain and planting. I have a better picture for those on another day. This sign is guiding us to drive the golf carts into grass that is not so worn. Scatter into other areas that have not been so well traveled.

It is usually pretty easy to love your family and those friends you choose to keep close around. OK, not always, but usually. However, what about our neighbors that are strangers, or those folks that look at first glance to be unlovable? How do we start, in a first step sort of way, to love these people as ourselves?

How about the step mentioned in today's verse from Romans...do no harm. Maybe you cannot, yet, find it in your heart to let them into your closest confidence, nor greet them with open arms. How about just doing away with the negative thoughts you might harbor about them, how about not joining in the talk about them, how about giving them the benefit of the doubt. Start with do no harm, then work up to doing something good for them. A smile, a kind word, a help. The type of love Paul is talking about is agape. A service, helping kind of love.

Scatter among your neighbors, near and far, and bring a helping kind of love. God revealed love through Christ, you and I reveal Christ's love through our actions. Scatter love, please, into some new paths not so well worn.

Uproot and Plant

a time to plant and a time to uproot, Ecclesiastes 3:2

Sometimes you can get by with pruning a little bit. However, when you know something is really dead you have to dig it up. Painful and sad, but, you have to do it. Sometimes it takes a long time, a lifetime, sometimes a couple of hours.

When you are landscaping your interior spiritual life, do you start by pruning the little things or do you go right to the pic-ax? What are we going to clean out today?

We must be sure to clean up the ground so we can plant a new seed.