Life's Little Frustrations

I'm out of supplies and I need some more,

So I must go to the grocery store.

Which part is hardest?  Is it loading the cart,

Unloading, putting up, or just getting a start?

Perhaps the most difficult part of it all

Is the price we must pay as we make our haul!

Rejoice in Today

Psalm 118:24,  "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

      Summer is my favorite season of the year.  I love its casual, relaxed, laid back feeling.  I always have a sense of sadness and loss when it is over.  Certainly fall is fun, with the crisp air that energizes us to step more briskly, the excitement of football season, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  But I dread the thought of January and February, with cold, dreary days, long nights, and runny noses. 

However I am determined this year to have a welcoming attitude toward all the days ahead and be open to all the things that each one of them brings.

      After Bob Tweedy was paralyzed as the result of a fall, he and his wife Carolyn started each day by saying together,  "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice ad be glad in it."  They chose to rejoice in their circumstances.  They recognized the fact that each new day is God's special gift to us and received it as such.

      Our joy and peace do not depend upon the season or the weather or our circumstances but upon the presence of God with us, and He is there for us through all kinds of weather and all kind of circumstances, through every season of the year and every season of life.  We can always rejoice in Him.

Father, may we be grateful for each new day You give us and rejoice that You will walk through it with us.  Amen.

Life's Little Frustrations

I change baby's diaper, and then

I turn around, and he's wet again!

The House of the Loard

Psalm 23:6b, "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

John 14:2-3,  "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

Revelation 21:2-3,  "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,  'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'"

Revelation 21:22,  "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."

     We will hear beautiful sounds from the heavenly choir.  We will see amazing sights.  The centerpiece of heaven will be God on His throne.  From the throne of God will flow the river of life, and a tree of life will grow on each side of the river and produce twelve crops of fruit.  The city will be surrounded by a wall whose foundation will be decorated with all kinds of precious stones.  There will be twelve gates, each one composed of one gigantic pearl, and the streets will be paved with glittering gold.  The things which God has prepared for those who love Him will greatly exceed anything we could ever imagine.

     Our loved ones who have died in Christ are there, and I expect that they will greet us when we arrive.  What a joyful reunion that will be!

     We will dwell in this wonderful place forever and ever, never to leave.  It will be a place of "no mores"--no more sickness nor sorrow nor pain nor death nor tears nor struggles.

     But the most blessed part of heaven is this: our Heavenly Father will dwell there with us, and we shall see our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, face to face and have the opportunity to praise Him and thank Him for the cross.  It will be God's eternal Presence with us that will make heaven so very special.  The destination will make everything we have suffered in the journey of life worth it all!

Father, I think of Corrie Ten Boom's words, "The best is yet to be," and I thank You for all that You have prepared for the eternal future of all those who love You.  Amen.

Life's Little Frustrations

We hear baby crying deep in the night.

His pacifier has dropped right out of sight.

"Where is it?" we cry, searching the bed and the floor.

We can't find it.  I sure hope we have some more!

The Olympics

I Corinthians 9:25,  "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

      A number of us have had withdrawal symptoms this week since the

2012 summer Olympics has ended.  Many of us were glued to our television sets every night from seven to eleven for two weeks.  We watched a number of athletes win medals and gain fame.  But what lasting impact have the Olympic games made in the lives of both participants and viewers?  Have we learned any life lessons from watching?  Let me suggest a few thoughts.

      First, although many individuals have won medals, awards were also given for a number of team sports such as basketball, volleyball, and relay races.  The incredible cooperation between team members has reminded me of the importance and effectiveness of teamwork in life.

      Second, it is so obvious that an enormous number of hours and incredible physical effort were put forth by the participants as they trained for their events.  This challenges me to renew and increase my own training in the Scriptures and prayer and obedience in order to more effectively live the Christian life.  The athletes work for temporary rewards, but ours will be eternal.

      Third, the athletes performed in the areas where they were most gifted because they were most effective in these areas.  We, too, have gifts.  Each one of us is given at least one spiritual gift when we become Christians, and we are most effective in the body of Christ when we operate in the areas of our giftedness.

      Fourth, no athlete could win a race without crossing the finish line.  This challenges us to persevere, to keep on keeping on and pushing to do our best as long as God leaves us on earth, to run our race and finish well.

      Training, dedication, commitment, hard work, perseverance, teamwork, and developing the gifts that God has given us--we can apply these lessons from the Olympics in our Christian walk.

Father, thank You that You give us many lessons in life to teach us how to better live for You.  Amen.