Blessings

Karen & Simon's, Nelson, B.C., Canada

 My cup overflows with blessings. Psalm 23:5 (NLT)

Recently, I enjoyed a short trip with my son and his wife to visit my daughter and her husband in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.  What a blessing to spend time with the ones I love in such a beautiful setting.

The landscape was all lush and green with tall evergreens packed tightly together. The purple and pink lupine growing along the roadside was a joy to behold.  On our hikes we saw rushing water,  pale green aspens, wild roses and in the midst of the ferns a moose. 

All of this fills me with praise and thankfulness to the one who overflows our lives with blessings.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from the Father.  James 1:17

Fellowship

One of the joys of maturing in the spirit or perhaps, just getting older, is realizing we are free to just be ourselves.  In younger years we think we have to conform to someone else's idea of who we should be to find approval.  We are unconsciously trying to please some unknown other.

Jesus came to set us free.  That freedom includes being who he created us to be.  Each of us is unique.  We have been given unique gifts and talents and personalities that are precious to God.  

The wonderful consequence of this kind of freedom is that now we are free to have true fellowship with others.  We are free to be ourselves without fear and those around us are free to be themselves without fear of judgment or condemnation from us.  This is the type of free flowing relationship that God has desired for us to enjoy.  

But if we really are living and walking in the Light,

as He, Himself, is in the Light, 

we have true, unbroken fellowship with one another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son

cleanses us from all sin and guilt.

1 John 1:7 (AMP)

Today

As we are in the midst of cleaning out our house, creating clutter and boxing, boxing, boxing it would be easy to fall into worrying and wondering about the future.  I am constantly reminded to live in the now.  Today is all we have.  Live in the moment.  Only God knows what tomorrow will hold.  We are making our plans the best we can, but leaving the results to God.

He is alive in the moment as we trust and rest in him.  Each day is a precious gift to be savored.  As the old song goes "Moment by moment I'm kept in his love.  Moment by moment I've life from above."

As we moved the old O'Keefe & Merritt stove so that the floor could be refinished underneath, I found a little card with this scripture:

 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil 4:6-7 (AMP)

What a great comfort to know everything is under his control and we can be at peace.

Forgiveness

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,

for they don’t know what they are doing.” 

Luke 23:34 (NLT)

There are many occasions each day when we may be offended by the behavior of others.  It is a constant occurrence as weak human beings interact with each other. 

All of us because of our conditioning, our culture or our temperament do things that hurt others even when we are not aware of it.  We are often insensitive to the needs and feelings of others. That's why we have to weave forgiveness into all of our relationships.  It is the oil that keeps our relationships smooth, keeps the doors open.  Without forgiveness our hearts become hard and our relationships suffer. Jesus faced the very worst situation with understanding.  He should have been resentful, angry and bitter yet he forgave his tormentors realizing that they really didn't know what they were doing. 

  

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other,

for love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8 (NLT)

 Sympathize with each other.

Love each other as brothers and sisters.

Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 

Don’t repay evil for evil.

Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. 

Instead, pay them back with a blessing. 

That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.

1 Peter 3:8-9 (NLT)

Watch a wonderful story of forgiveness at:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/07/eveningnews/main20069849.shtml 

Perfect Peace

Apache Lake Arizona

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

         Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)

Yesterday in church we sang this beautiful hymn - one of my favorites which I haven't heard for a long time.  A great reminder that if we trust him fully, nothing that comes into our lives can disquiet us.  What a perfect peace!

                   Like a River Glorious

Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace,
Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.

Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do;
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

Refrain:
Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

Lyrics:  Frances R. Havergal (1836-1879)

Music: James Mountain

 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

Psalms 46:4 (NIV)

Listen to the song at:  http://youtu.be/6XIT06R-r5g

Bunnies

Bunnies make me smile.  As we finish up our golf membership here in Arizona, playing early each morning (the sun gets up early in Arizona), I get to watch the bunnies grazing and scurrying across the grass, their white cotton tails bobbing up and down.  They always make me smile.  I call to them like they were my pets, but they don't recognize my voice so they run away in fear.  Doesn't that bunny know that I just want to be friends?! 

When God calls out to us he is hoping we will run toward him and not away from him in fear.  He just wants us to come close to him.  When we don't respond or we run the other way we are disappointing him and shortchanging ourselves.  God has so much to offer us in terms of support, comfort and love.  He is saddened when we go the other way depriving ourselves of the companionship he offers.

Lord, tune our ears to hear your voice so that we joyfully run towards you.  When we hear you call may we respond and follow.

My sheep listen to my voice; 

I know them, and they follow me.

John 10:27 (NLT)

The sheep recognize his voice and come to him.
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
After he has gathered his own flock,

he walks ahead of them,

and they follow him because they know his voice.

They won’t follow a stranger;

they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.

John 10:3-5 (NLT)