“Jesus loves me, this I know.” Many of us grew up singing this familiar song. What does it mean to be loved? I honestly didn’t know because I grew up in a home that lacked nurture and love. It was an environment full of anger, favoritism (not toward me), physical abuse (toward me), and abandonment (toward my brother and me).
As I write, our entire world is experiencing the Coronavirus. It is a time of lost jobs, financial uncertainty, sickness, and death. As a result, many are unnerved with unrest. Even those of us who love Jesus may find our circumstances causing disheartening thoughts to race.
I listen to Christian music throughout the day, so it’s no surprise that’s how I hear God speak many times.
Sometimes a song introduces me to a scripture.
That’s exactly what happened when I heard the song, I Am Free, by the Newsboys.
Have you ever let dirty dishes sit for a day or so? Really, it doesn’t have to be that long. Maybe just a few hours.
Some of the worst culprits include oatmeal, tomato sauce, cheese, and even coffee.
The food can become so glued on the dishes that even an automatic dishwasher won’t remove all the particles.
’ve been reading the Bible through chronologically this year, which means I’ve been camped out in the Old Testament since January.
One of the biggest takeaways? The Israelites were bad. Even the best of them.
Kimberly and I met when we were both about 23 years old. We both worked in corporate communication for a large bank.
She produced company videos while I managed print communication.
We didn’t start out as friends. In fact, I didn’t like her.
Recently one word out of this verse hit home: advisers. Plural.
Notice it does not say adviser.
In fact, the verse says many.
I never really thought too much about this until the last six months when I’ve needed some good advice on some complicated issues.
Several years ago, “What Would Jesus Do?” was a popular phrase among Christians. This was the measure to use in decision-making. Pattern your behavior after Him. Not a bad idea, right? It’s a little harder to put into practice.
When I was growing up, I imagined how cool it would be to have a videophone. This was a futuristic idea only seen on TV at the time. Well, it’s not futuristic anymore. It is common practice, especially now.
I have to admit, I don’t really like a quiet house. If I am alone, I’ll turn on the TV for some background noise. When fixing dinner or cleaning up, I like to watch or listen to something. I immediately sense the urge to turn on a little HGTV, etc. Even in the car, I am listening to something. Not that this is wrong, but I have allowed this to become a habit for me.
When I was a child, there was a “Mr. Men” and “Little Miss” book series written by Roger Hargreaves. The characters in the stories had dominant personality traits that either caused them problems or showed another character how to engage in the positive quality. Everyone learned something through the moral lesson of story.
A few months back I came to an intersection. As I looked to my right, about 100 yards down the road, a truck was spinning out of control and came to a stop just off the road. He apparently had a tire blowout. As I watched, one of his wheels came hurtling towards me, rolling and bouncing all the way. As it got closer, I eased forward a little, and it crossed the road about 15 feet behind my car.
Spring cleaning has taken on a new meaning these days. Closets, drawers and attics have been reorganized. Our yards and gardens may be looking better than years before. Surely there is some comfort gained while our to-do lists dwindle. But some people are entering into a restless phase while this virus continues to take center stage in our lives. I have begun to sigh when I hear the morose acronym...COVID-19.
Every January, the women’s minister in my church encourages us to pray and choose a word for the year that would serve as a personal principle or motivator for the coming year. The word I chose in January 2020 was forward. I also wrote a devotional, which was published in February on this website. Today I share an excerpt with you, friend, to show you about God’s power, love and mercy. My God supplied my needs now by giving me these words then. I am invariably humbled by his foresight, love and care.
At first, the quarantine was not so bad. I had diligently stocked our pantry while often having flashbacks of my childhood. My grandmother’s kitchen was the center of family life, and she knew how to skillfully prepare meals on a limited budget. It’s funny that my newly acquired habit of carefully selecting organic fresh meats and produce flew out the window when I found myself feeling a sense of security with rice, beans, pasta, canned and frozen foods. Old recipes came to my mind, which brought comfort and I’m sure a few pounds!
The effects of the Pandemic of 2020 will be shared in every family. Sadly, those who contracted and survived the virus will describe their suffering and even sadder, the families who suffered loss will memorialize their loved one for generations.list
For some reason, God prepared my heart last year about the seriousness of living with an epidemic. I was viewing websites of colleges our granddaughter was considering attending in the fall, which included Abilene Christian University. It was there I read the featured story of Alumnae Kent and Amber Brantly.
I’m not the family historian. Fortunately, other members have faithfully gathered helpful information and ancestral stories. I have two amazing grandmothers who lived through the Great Depression and World War II. Their faith that God would care for them remained strong. I also discovered a circuit riding pastor in my lineage, multiple church deacons, a cowboy who drove cattle to feed the confederate army, farmers, school teachers, a whaler, a constable and a physician.
“They’re back! I see four cows and a calf from the neighbor’s west pasture! I can’t tell where they came through!” yelled my husband. We donned our boots and gloves to search the fence line. Sure enough, broken wires and a rotten fence post solved the mystery. Time for repairs.
“Majestic” was the only word that came to mind as we texted our sightings to one another. Imagine our excitement discovering eagles had chosen a tall pine tree on our family’s ranch for building their nest! Week by week, the busy parents brought sticks to slowly increase the dimension of what would eventually become a six-foot treetop castle. We waited while the female eagle patiently incubated her eggs. The proud pair now spend their day hunting for food and perching protectively near the nest. They seem proud of their accomplishment! This weekend we finally saw the eaglets! One hopped up onto the side of the nest when a parent arrived with supper dangling from its talons. A second one popped up to vie for its portion.
