To Fathers, Wherever You Are

If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1Timothy 5:8

Thank you to all those fathers out in the world who take care of their families. From the ones that go to work in a safe environment to those that are looking for a job anywhere; from those who are enjoying a day out at the ballpark, beach, or back yard BBQ to those that are protesting in Iran.
God bless you all as you spread God's love, care and concern into the world.

On The Road Again

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5

Off on the road again visiting family. We returned from visiting with two of the children and one grandson, only to turn around and set off to visit the oldest son and his two boys. We went to a wedding and played some golf during the first trip, now we will have a marathon of high school baseball games during the second! What a joy to be with all these special family members God has given us. (Cannot leave out that I will also be seeing my sister!)
Being with my family is such a blessed way for me to see God's ways and truth. Love just flows out like a big old river. We talk some about the past, and discuss and plan a bit for the future, but mostly, we just enjoy the moment. All day long we support, laugh, listen, love. Just like God supports, laughs, listens and loves us.
My prayer is that I use this time to learn more about God's path for me and see God's ways of loving.

A Pondered Response

At www.snapthatpenny.blogspot.com we are asked to ponder what "you and your house believe on?". Well, when asked to ponder I cannot resist, as pondering is one of the things I do best!
We believe we were created by a mysterious, yet completely loving Creator who is active in our lives. ONE, whom if we listen to, will lead us into the life we were meant to live here in the natural world.
We believe material value takes the backseat to family love.
We believe forgiveness can be hard, but is entirely necessary if we are to survive together as a family, and a species.
We believe in good souls.
We pray.
I will pass on the question to you. Visit Snap for the beautiful pictures and thoughtful words.

Prayer Friday Psalm 66:1

Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Psalm 66:1

Glorious Creator, Living Christ, Holy Spirit and Wisdom, Hear my joy!
We are so blessed with the beauty around us; the hills, mountains, the green and brown, water and desert, sky and sun, moon, stars. How can we not but shout with joy.
Please forgive us when we overlook or forget to thank You for these gifts.
This week I pray we may be bold enough, care enough, to witness to others the glory of your gifts. My we tell everyone you send us that we love You and know You are our God.
May we reflect Your love and care through our actions and words. Give us the words, Holy Spirit. Let us do no harm this week.
AMEN

Prayer Friday: Mark 12:31

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:31

Loving Creator, Living Christ, Holy Spirit...
Thank you for all of the blessings you surround us with at every second of the day. As your sun rises and sets let us thank you for our day.
We are guided to love our neighbor as ourselves. Lord, sometimes it is hard to love or understand ourselves, let alone those around us. We fall so short of this commandment. But we know You can help us do anything You ask us to do...so we ask for your support and help in loving. Let us find the place in our souls You have filled with love and shower it on ourselves and all those we come in contact with today.
May goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives...second by second may we be grateful and know it is Your Goodness and Mercy.
AMEN

Love is All

Love...does not seek its own, is not provoked. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

This is, of course, Love month. I have been reminded so many times in the last couple of weeks, of the power and need for love. My uncle, who lives far away, fell over the weekend and broke his hip. He is blessed with a dear friend who has seen him through the surgery and is by his side right now.

Recently, through the wonders of Facebook, I have been reunited with a number of former students. We are having so much fun reacquainting and catching up. But, also, wondering what God has in plan for our coming together after almost 15 years or so.

Then there are the golf buddies who stick together through thick and thin.

And...the great fun of spending time with my bestest buddy two weeks ago. Lucy and Ethel time!!

Love comes in all shapes and sizes, far and near, old and new. Love needs to be shared and spread.

Mopping around because you don't have a friend close by...go out and get you one! It starts with a smile at the library, at work, at the store. There is someone out there that needs you and your friendship. Say "hey" to that new person at church.

Those two in the picture are two of our three best friends. That's Lucky (the white one) and Poppy. Remember, there is a friend waiting for you at the animal shelter :).

Love, Day by Day

Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures. Corinthians 13:7

This coming year I will mindfully stay in the present, with love as my guide.

May God bless you and yours every minute of every day and may you be open to receive and respond in kind.

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.

The Greatest Gift Is Love

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1Corinthians 13:13

As this day progresses, I want all of you to know that I love each of you beyond politics, beyond national boundaries, beyond church ties and religious beliefs. We are all the children of a gracious and loving Creator, who is beyond our imagination to grasp. We are loved in a manner so huge we cannot wrap words or thoughts around it.
So love and be loved today.

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.

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.

Prayer Friday

Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. 1Samuel 1:13

Loving Creator, Living Christ
Teach me to pray in my heart at all times. Teach me to pray continually not just at moments when I think I need something.
You give me every breath I take, may I give it back to you in prayer.
Today may I please see you in all my brothers and sisters. May I love with your love and forgive with your forgiveness.
Thank you for the Holy Spirit you have sent to guide me. May I be open and listen and watch. May I know and follow your will for my life today.
Through Jesus, AMEN

In the Presence

May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:21

That is my intention today. Christ expects me to be in Them today, so today I am going to stay in this awareness of Them. That means living this day in Love. No dwelling in the past, no grudges, no worry about tomorrow. Walk my talk, practice what I read and believe. Act in love not react in judgement. One breath at a time, be aware of the Love in the Trinity.
Breathe with me today. OK?

Time To Love

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; Ecclesiastes 3:1

Time. My internal clock is so out of whack right now. On our trip we have crossed three time zones so many times, it makes your head spin. Mountain, central, eastern, central, mountain. Yesterday my sister and I found ourselves parked in front of a store that wouldn't open for an hour. This morning everyone in this house was awake at 4am; three dogs and three humans were all out of bed by 5:15. We are early risers, but this is ridiculous! Makes you wonder...which time zone is "God's time"? Is daylight savings central time zone the real one? Summer time or winter time, before the last week in April or is it the first Sunday ???? Is it 7:02am or 6:o2? Help.
Nice to know that at a time of confusion such at this I can go to good old Ecclesiastes 3. It doesn't matter what time the clock shows, it is all God's time. Right now God has given us time to share love. Three humans, three dogs, 5:30am, assembled on the sun porch, coffee in hand, anticipating a glorious sunrise, appreciating each other. God blessed us with the extra time this morning to laugh and to enjoy. God blessed us this morning with a memory to keep when things settle down, when the trip time is over, for when we are miles apart and miss each other.

Love Your Neighbor

"Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18

We will be leaving in the morning to attend the wedding of the daughter of my oldest and dearest friend. (Don't mean she is oldest in age...longest in friendship...she might get upset if she read it wrong!!) So I was thinking what would be good advice for a couple starting out on what I pray will be the long road of marriage. I cannot think of better than Leviticus 19:18.
Andrea and Patrick, if you really consider it, beginning Saturday you will be each others closest neighbor. Closer than those folks next door or the ones across the street. You will be each others "people". So treat each other with love and respect, let those little moments of irritation go. When you look at each other see yourself in their eyes. Treat each other as the thought of our Creator that you are. We were made to love, so love.
Love to both of you and may God bless you and yours forever and ever.

Relax in The Presence

...and made him glad with the joy of your presence. Psalm 21:6

Two days of golf and I am done in. Hot, tired, stiff and very, very happy. The last two days I played with 6 of the nicest ladies I have ever played with. Funny and laid back. When I am in the presence of such nice people it makes my golf better. I was so relaxed and at ease, I couldn't help but play better golf. My swing was easy, I wasn't tense on my putts, it was like a dream. That is not to say my usual group is not fun nor nice, they are both. However, you tend to take that for granted and that is not right. I should never forget to always appreciate the regular weekly play group.
God blessed David and gave him joy in his presence. That's the way we should live every moment, blessed with the joy of being in the presence of our Creator. I tend to take that for granted, also. I forget how relaxed and peaceful it is to really be aware of God's presence. I get too busy, to focused on something else. Then I loose my peace, my calmness. But, you know the best part, God is always there waiting for us to wise up, waiting for us to remember where we are and in whose presence we are. Always there to fill us with peace and love. I will stop and remember that now.

Kepp Us Safe

Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. Paslm 16:1

Headed north in a few hours to play in a golf tournament tomorrow. Happy Father's Day to all you Dads. Dad's remember in your weakness is your strength. When your heart melts over the laughter of your child, your love wells up and bursts through. Use that strength, the strong flowing of love to guide those children. Children, thank your father for all the hours of hard work he has put into raising and caring for you.
For those of us whose fathers have passed on, may their souls be in the refuge of our God.
My last conversation with my Dad was about golf. Yep, believe it or not it was. He was at home and I called to tell him of some feat I had accomplished on the course. He thought it was so funny he called me back in about an hour to make me tell him again. One time he took me out on our home course to a grove of trees on the fourth fairway. He taught me a shot to get out of those trees. He said if I was always going to hit into trees I might as well know how to get out from under them. I still get under trees and I think of him every time I hit a low shot out!

Prayer Friday

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2Peter 1:2

Gracious and loving Creator, we thank you for all of the blessings and graces you have poured out on us this week. We know that every breath we take we take because you give it to us. You are our ground and our air. Thank you for forgiving us when we stray away from that knowledge. Help us stay in the awareness of you all the time, we seem to have a problem doing that.
Lord, don't let us be a stumbling block to those you put in our path. Let us recognize them as a gift from you. Remind us that we are all the same, made of the same, body, mind and spirit.
Let us be generous with the gifts you have given us. Let our every thought be one of love and kindness.
Help us forgive as we are forgiven.
We are yours and you are ours, we are blessed in that.
Holy Spirit please take our prayers through Christ, Amen
Please feel free to add your prayers in the comments. If you have requests, I will be happy to add your prayers to mine and take them to my prayer group.

Cleaning Out The Never Ending Dust

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! Psalm 133:1

No golf today. The group is scattered and it is too windy anyway. Windy, windy, windy. That translates to dust, dust, dust.
Yeasterday I cleaned with a vengences. I mean I got into places that had been ignored for weeks... OK, months. I cleaned, threw out, put back what was left and then cleaned some more. Now you have to think of something while you clean, so I did some attitude cleaning. I took out some relationships, looked at the dirt that had accumalated around them, cleaned them up and then looked at them as new and shiny.
I don't find it easy to live in unity with my friends and family when there are rough edges or little dirty spots adhering to the surfaces. I know the relationships are good and clean and pure under the fuzzy stuff I let get in the way. So periodically I need to clear off the dirt and dust that has gotten in the way. Maybe dirt is too harsh a word, but I cannot think of another right now. Anyway, yesterday I sorted out a lot of thoughts in my mind that were getting in the way of love. Fortunately none of them were huge, just little spots that were not needed nor useful. As I did that I of course found that a lot of those spots were imaginary, of my own making.
Now today there is more wind and I can see a fine line of dust on some surfaces. But, as you get older and see the dust build up, you realize that it is a lot easier to clean when you first see it. Don't let that dust build, on your shelves or your relationships. Clean it all up. Then you can function in unity. In clean, pure love.