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Valentines Day!

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 18:51:35 GMT

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays.

As a child, I loved to decorate a Valentine's box and bring it to school where my classmates would drop in a small Valentine card for me. I enjoyed going to the store and finding just the right box of Valentine's Day cards to hand out to my friends. The school would give us a list of classmates names. I would work for an hour or so picking out just the right card for each person.

When we lived in Mississippi, my husband grew these plants called Bleeding Hearts. They come in a variety of colors of pink, white, and red. The flowers resemble a heart with a dot of blood dropping from them. Pictures are beautiful but to see these flowers in person makes you stop and take a closer look.

Valentine's Day is a time to express love to friends and family not just our romantic love. This year I encourage you to do an act of kindness on Valentine's Day.

Buy a bag of chocolate hearts and hand them out to people that you encounter.
Make or buy a card and give it to a family member of friend and tell them how much you care and love them.
Buy a dozen roses and hand out individual roses to people you see.
Call a friend and tell them how much you love them.

The greatest love ever shown was when Jesus died on the cross for us. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

February is a winter month and can be very chilly. I pray that today you will make this a special Valentine's day and warm the heart of someone.

Give Yourself the Gift of Laughter

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 16:21:15 GMT

Joy of Laughter

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.” Psalm 126:2 (NIV)

“The book fair is like chocolate, it doesn’t last forever. You either eat it or it melts,” my son Anthony told me.

I burst out in a laughter and said, “You are so funny.” My son knows I like chocolate, so comparing the book fair to chocolate was effective. His favorite time of the school year is the book fair. I was sitting on the front porch in my rocking chair when he returned from school. He knew how to twist my arm and what to say to get my attention. He offered to give me a foot massage in return for some money. He said, “The book fair isn’t here long, so I have to go at the beginning or all the good books will be gone!” I kept replaying his words in my mind and laughing. He started imitating my laughter. Our laughter got louder and his facial expressions became more dramatic in mocking me. The neighbors who live two doors down must have thought we were crazy, but hopefully we made them laugh.

There are times in my life that I need a good laugh. Life is hard on everyone, and our world has many negative images and words that we filter each day.

Psalm 126:1-3 says, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

The phrase “filled with laughter” makes me imagine them laughing with their mouths wide open as their hearts rejoiced for what God had done for them. The people that heard their laughter exclaimed, “The Lord has done great things.” They must have wanted to join in on the laughter and the moment.

When you hear someone laugh, doesn’t it make you want to join in?

God wants to restore in us the type of joy we felt when we first trusted in Him. He designed us to praise and be joyful. The next time you hear someone laugh real loud, remember God loves the sound of His creation laughing.

Journal: Describe the last time you had a roll-on-the-floor laughing moment? What makes you laugh? What is your all-time favorite, funny story your family likes to tell? Tell about a time you had to laugh at yourself.

Adore

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 21:45:58 GMT

Adore

Find a Moment of Peace and Reflection

Most people love anything that is a baby such as, our own babies, grandbabies, puppies, and all newborn creatures. They have a freshness and delight that bring a smile to our face.

I always see things with childlike eyes and my grandson has enhanced that even more. We were at Hobby Lobby, and we were looking at the little plastic animals and I couldn’t resist buying the sheep and camel. I decided to find one of our nativities and put it on my desk during the Christmas season.

As I was playing some Christmas music, one song in particular by Chris Tomlin called “Adore” caused me to pause. I spent the next hour looking and reflecting on the nativity sets we have placed around our home.

The warmth and peace I felt as I sat looking at the nativities and listening to the song brought a calmness to my heart.

What does adore mean to you? The definition of adore means to love and respect someone deeply or to worship.

Have you spent some time this holiday season adoring the birth of Jesus? If not, find one of your nativities or look at some pictures of nativities and reflect on Jesus’ birth. I believe you will find a moment of peace and reflection that will bring you into the Christmas season with a childlike faith and wonder.

30 Days of Gratitude

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 21:14:26 GMT

30 Days of Gratitude

It’s November. The air is cool and crisp. The leaves on the trees are changing colors and falling. Time to rake the leaves. It is also the time to give thanks.

When we give thanks, we are expressing gratitude or showing appreciation to someone.

Gratitude is priceless and it adds value to each day.

When life gets hard or you have had a tough day if we take some time to stop, think, and reflect on gratitude. It will change our perspective.

What are your grateful for?

For the next 30 days select a different letter of the alphabet each day to use in this gratitude exercise. For example, I choose the letter, “G.” Write down every word you can think of during the day that starts with the letter, “G.” At the end of the day look at all the words and thank God for each of these items and how they bring joy to your life.

God's Presence in Blue

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 09:23:34 GMT

God Created All the Colors of the World.

God created all the colors in our world. He also created our eyes to gather the colors and process the specific hue of the color.

The primary colors are red, yellow, blue.

My favorite color is purple. Purple is a mixture of red and blue.

September’s birth stone is the blue sapphire. It is a brilliant deep blue color.

What is your favorite crayon color? Blue was voted the most popular Crayola Crayon color. Rounding the top ten were red, violet, green, carnation pink, black, turquoise blue, blue green, periwinkle and magenta.

In my book the devotion called, “The Color of Joy” I mentioned that color trend forecasting is a career. There are people that get together and predict the colors for the next several years that will be popular for clothes, shoes, books, magazines, and more.

In one of my Facebook lives I talked about not judging a book by its cover. I talked about my book and the colors on the front, and I had asked people to share what they think the blue might represent. I had some great answers. I really like this answer from my dad.

In Numbers 15:38 it says, “The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.

The ribbon of blue on the hem of the garments was a constant reminder of God’s holy presence. My dad mentioned that the color blue on my book cover is edged and mixed with blue as God’s presence is all around and throughout our lives.

Another interesting thing that happened with Moses was in Exodus 24:9-11 it says, “Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.”

Can you imagine this color of blue the lapis lazuli under God’s feet? That would have been a moment they probably never forgot.

What is your favorite color? How does it make you feel?

Animal Trip

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 19:29:49 GMT

We visit our family every year who live in Kentucky. This year our trip was all about seeing animals!

We visit our family every year who live in Kentucky. This year our trip was all about seeing animals. In fact, we visited several types of zoos.

Our first stop was a safari adventure. We took a two-hour open-air vehicle through a farm in Columbus, Ohio called The Wilds, that had all kinds of amazing animals. We saw giraffes, Bactrian camel and deer, cheetahs, greater one-horned Asian rhinos, and much more.

About midway through the safari ride, we noticed the sky getting darker and a storm brewing. It began to rain. Not only did it rain, there was a huge downpour with rain and wind. The wind was blowing the rain sideways into the vehicle and we were being hit in the face with heavy rain. Needless to say, we were soaked and ready to be done with the safari. We were laughing at first but then it began to hurt us. We didn’t have anything to protect us. We couldn’t enjoy viewing the giraffes because it was raining so hard. Finally, the rain stopped just before we came to the rhinos.

The greater-one horned Asian rhino ended up being our favorite animal that day. We enjoyed the rhinos because there were babies. The moms and babies were all running through the open fields because it has just rained. The air was fresh and cool. The tour guide told us it was a treat to see these rhinos running around. They typically are laying in the grass because they are hot.

We were dropped off at the gift shop at the end of our safari and were ready to get some dry clothes on. It was an experience we will never forget. Not because of the animals but because of the rain. And the surprise when the sun came out and there was the most gorgeous rainbow.

Genesis 9:14-15 says, “Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.”

Our next stop on our animal trip was literally to Noah’s ark. There is an exact replica of Noah’s ark in Grant County, Kentucky.

One of the most interesting experiences at the Ark Encounter was when we walked inside to the front of a boat which is called the bow. The museum had speakers with the sound of heavy rain, wind, and thunder to give you an idea of what it might have been like for Noah, the family, and the animals.

Often, we focus on the animals and what it might have smelled or sounded like, but I never took the time to imagine how loud the rain, thunder and winds might have been and how scary that must have been. As I stood there silently taking in the moment, I felt the vibration of the sound and sensed the movement of what the ark might have felt like.

It actually made me a little anxious thinking about how they endured the rain for 40 days and nights. Genesis 7:4 it says, “Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

It was scary but when I stopped to think about what the eight people on the boat must have felt like, I felt safe because I knew God had provided the knowledge to Noah to design the boat to withstand any storm.

Ideas for praying for our kids.

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 19:48:08 GMT

Ideas for praying for our kids

Several years ago, as I was driving by my child’s school and I decided to pray for my child. I prayed for his safety, focus, and friends. I prayed for the teachers, office, and other staff as they tend to all the kids during the day. Now it is a regular habit when I drive past the school.

One chore I am not fond of is folding clothes. But I have found if I use the time to pray for my child it helps me change my perspective on the task. Ask God to guide their steps as they put their socks on each day.

Your child may struggle with a class. Find out what time your child has the class and set your alarm to pray for them during this time.

Tell your child you prayed for them. It will mean more to them than you know.

Praying for Adult Children

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 19:47:21 GMT

Praying for Adult Children

Pray that God will continue to guide them to make good choices as an adult. The freedom as a young adult can come with many temptations.

Pray for protection and health as they go about their daily work and play.

Pray they will want to continue to grow in their faith journey through Bible study and church attendance.

Had Your Stinging Nettles Today?

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 08:43:42 GMT

Had Your Stinging Nettles Today?

The World Nettle Eating Championship happens in Dorset, England once a year. Competitors are provided two-foot long stalks of the stinging nettle plant and they pluck and eat the leaves. The winner is the one with the greatest accumulated length of nettles-not to mention a black tongue and teeth.

A wild plant called stinging nettle can sting you with its hairy leaves and stems. The hairy leaf is like a hypodermic needle when touched and can inject chemicals causing a sting which can cause itching and pain.

Most people that encounter the stinging nettle consider it a nuisance. But God has made everything for a reason. The nettle plants can be a great source of vitamins. It can help with allergies and is an anti-inflammatory. When cooked and soaked in water the stingers come off and the leaves can be eaten. Herbal teas and pesto sauces are just a few of the common uses of the plant.

Nettles along with other types of plants with thorns and thistles are mentioned in the Bible:

· Genesis 3:18 in says, “It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.”

· Genesis 9:3 says, “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.”

· Isaiah 34:13 says, “Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls.” The more I learn about all that God has created, I believe there are many resources we aren’t taking advantage of for our well-being.

You might not end up a nettle-eating champion, but you could end up enjoying–and benefiting from-one of God’s wild plants growing in your own backyard.

Nuggets of Gratitude: List three wild plants you are thankful for.

Write about something you know. If you don’t know much about a specific topic that will interest your readers, invite an expert to write about it.

Refuge of Joy

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 15:04:03 GMT

College Park in Williamsburg is a wildlife refuge for all kinds of animals, including blue and green herons, osprey, eagles, crabs, and fish. The refuge provides the needed resources of safety, shelter, and food. One day as I visited, there were five people bird watching. We saw an osprey dive down into the water for fish. A blue heron was snatching up fish and the grey gills of the fish were sparkling in the sun.

The definition of refuge is something providing shelter or a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.

Some days I need a refuge for my thoughts and feelings. At times, I almost need a reset button to clear my mind. I like to find a quiet park or go into our woods near our backyard. It is when I get away, out of the noise of life, that I find God is still in control. He never changes. The refuge is not going to run to us. We need to choose to look for a refuge.

Psalm 5:11-12 says, “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

This is just one of the 98 references to refuge in the Bible.

Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

Thirty years ago, we went to Tobermory, Canada for our honeymoon. One of the adventures we took was to a remote place called Flowerpot Island. We had to get there by boat and it was about 30 minutes from shore. The boat staff dropped us off and told us they’d be back in two hours to pick us up. We jokingly said, “I hope this doesn’t turn into a Gilligan’s Island.”

We hiked on a trail around the island. My husband walked in front of me and he told me later that there were many snakes that slithered off into the grass in front of him. We noticed the dark clouds beginning to form. We were concerned about being left on the island for longer than planned if a storm stayed around too long. As we continued to walk, we noticed these flies landing on us and they were biting. I looked at my husband’s back and there must have been 50 on him. Some people began walking towards us and they said, “You don’t want to walk that way because there are hundreds of flies biting us.”

We turned around and headed for shelter to a covered pavilion, where we spent another hour with about 15-20 people waiting for our boat. It was windy and raining. Lightning flashed again and again. We were very thankful for the shelter and prayed that God would get us back on land safely.

Have you found your refuge? Have you found your place of peace?

Psalm 46:1-3

Psalm 46:1-3 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

Have you found your refuge? Have you found your place of peace?

Go on a trip with me, in your mind, out to a favorite park or spot that is quiet, and no one is around. As you are getting out of your car, you begin walking. In the far distance you see a covered shelter or pavilion. You see what looks like someone sitting there. You are curious and cautious as you begin to get closer to the shelter. Just on the other side of the shelter is your favorite spot, where you enjoy sitting and watching the babbling brook with water gently running over the rocks. You need to get to it, but you are going to have to pass by this person sitting at a table under the shelter.

At first glimpse he seems familiar, like an acquaintance. You share kind greetings. The person at the table says, “Won’t you come and join me at the table?” Your first thought is, “No, I don’t know you.” Then you catch a familiar look in His eyes of care, love, and peace. You inch closer, wondering if everything is safe.

The person says, “Take a load of your feet and sit a while. Take your shoes off and rest with me a bit.”

As you begin to settle in and relax, a gentle cool breeze blows through the shelter, and then a warmth that is just the perfect temperature. You begin to notice the air you are breathing is fresh, inviting, and delightful.

The person asks you, “What is on your heart today? Why did you come looking for a refuge?” You begin to pour your heart out to Him. He listens as you share your thoughts, feelings, hurts, and joy.

Time gets away as you share stories back and forth. Your time comes to an end and you pray together. You realize it has been Jesus sitting with you. You leave the park feeling the joy of the Lord because you choose to go and look for joy in Jesus, your Refuge and Protector.

You know that He will be waiting for you right in this same spot anytime you need Him. He will be waiting with open arms, a gentle smile, and loving heart to listen and comfort you through each storm and celebrate through each joy.

Journal: What would you tell Jesus if you were sitting at a picnic table across from Him?

“Bee” on the Lookout for Joy

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 09:43:42 GMT

“Bee” on the Lookout for Joy

God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25.

While visiting an apple tree farm and enjoying the cool weather, I did a video to encourage people to fall into joy during this autumn season. As I finished the video I said, “Be on the lookout for joy.” A bee flew over my head and straight towards my camera. I am surprised at times how God provides those unexpected creatures to come at just the right time and provide inspiration.

God has unexpected encounters of joy waiting for us if we are on the lookout for them.

Everything in nature is praising God from the gentle breeze causing a leaf to fall and flutter down to the ground to the tiny green plant pushing through the dirt in a garden looking for the sunlight.

Psalm 65:8 says, “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. 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.

Psalm 65:13 says, “The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.”

I am scared of bees, but I know they pollinate our plants and crops. Without them we won’t have the food supply we need.

John the Baptist in the Bible lived off locust and honey in Matthew 3:4 it says, “John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”

I am thankful for the bees. God made each creature and insect for a special purpose and when we stop to acknowledge and inspect them, we will find out a little bit more about our creator.

Lookout: Take five minutes this week and sit outside and write about everything you see in creation.

Be on the Lookout: What do you want to be more aware of in nature?