Thankful for Simplicity~

I am so thankful for the simplicity that is in our GOD...to know Him is to LOVE Him...to love Him is to OBEY Him...to obey Him is to dwell in PEACE and REST! :) There is safety within the bounds of our Father. He provides what we need to live and love and abound in every good work...because I can TOTALLY TRUST Him, I can live in faith-not fear; in wonderment-not worry; in great joy-not despair!! HalluYAH! :) I'm so very very thankful.

I am blessed beyond measure to be able to live such a fulfuilled life, because HE has given me LIFE! :) Now do not misunderstand, in our culture we tend to immediately assosiate 'fulfillment', 'success', and 'blessings' with financial/material gain or possession-- NONE of which I'm implying....No, HIS LIFE is so much MORE than THAT. Treasures that cannot be offered by anyone or anything other than our Father. As we draw near unto Him and embrace Him...we are filled to overflowing...as if He cannot contain Himself in His delight for us :) What a joyous place to live!

 When we draw near unto YaHWeH and behold 'WHO' He is...we are faced with a choice: to embrace Him or to resist Him. To embrace Him is to embrace ALL that 'is' Him...every opinion and judgement that He holds...every command of His will and heart...every 'thing' that "makes Him" WHO He IS. To resist Him, is to be as the children Isreal...they beheld Him at the mount and told Moses  to face Him FOR them-they themselves resisted...they also resisted Him as their King, desiring an earthly king (as all the other nations around them-seeking to be as 'the world' instead of receiving GOD's desire for them). And couldn't we go on and on about the many many times Isreal resisted our Father instead of embracing Him with their whole heart? And can't we go on and on about our own choices...resisting Who GOD "IS" instead of embracing Him whole-heartedly? But I'm thankful that He has chosen to show us Who He is through His Son, our beloved Messiah. I'm thankful He has chosen to extend His grace and mercy to us and He makes them new every morning...Great is His faithfulness!!

Choosing to live within our GOD and to embrace the life He has chosen for His creation...and then experiencing All that He desires for us....isn't it THAT SIMPLE? :)

* A JOYFUL THOUGHT~ "O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." Psalm 34:8 

Just some thoughts...

Life~ What is life? What is living? Is it merely exsisting? Aren't these questions the very same questions that have been pondered for generations? Why do we feel we must know? Why do we feel there must be a meaningful reason for exsistance?

Could it be that "we" have 'eaten from the tree of knowledge' , and in our quest to "be as God" -as the serpant beguiled Eve- we, too, have fallen into the same discontent... and, therefore, our 'pride of life' is never satisfied? We are not content with "just living", it leaves us feeling insignificant and unimportant- we must feel that we matter, we must 'make a difference', we must 'leave something behind' so extraordinary that it will ensure that we are never forgotten.

At some point in time, to some degree or another, it seems we all face the same feelings of 'needing' to 'know' the 'true' MEANING OF LIFE... and therefore the true meaning of our 'own' life-- from the innocent questions of the youngest child to the 'deeper questions' of the (so-called) great philosophers... we all want to know: WHAT is all this about??

Hmmm... maybe-just maybe-it's not for us to know. Maybe it's for us to simply live... to live the life our Creator has given us-and living it the way He has instructed us, to please Him and to bring Him pleasure. Maybe it's enough to live and love and just "be", until He decides it's time for eternity. He placed Adam in the garden He had planted and simply told him to "keep it"... it is that simple. Our lives are to be obedient to the One who created us.

Our life is a gift and we should be mindful that we are the created, and HE is the Creator; that we see in a glass darkly... our eyes only see the threads of His tapestry: only He sees the full picture. Can we not be content in that? Can we not "just live"-- for Him? "Just be" what He has created us to be... human beings with the capacity to communicate and love and live in this earth He created us to live in; having communion with Him and one another; doing good and being good; loving and being loved. That's enough.

"We" need not matter: He matters. "We" ARE insignificant: He is Supernal. "We" are but dust: HE IS ALL IN ALL... and I'm so glad He is!!!

*A Joyful Thought*  And YaHWeH Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL. (Gen.2:7) HallaluYAH!

The Leaf

I stood there gazing, captured by the beauty that was swirling before me. A single leaf in its silent dance to the earth, a periwet in the wind; slowly decending- ever so gently- a fleeting moment in time... a treasured gift etched within my mind. This gift, priceless and so very precious, a whisper of time that soon will fade-- given from a gracious Father to a beloved daughter...

Now I stand, quietly, reflecting on the serene glimpse I was humbled to see. In this present stillness I feel safe, loved, and at peace. Blocking the clamour of this world's care, I can see clearly-- Truly, ALL IS WELL.

*A Joyful Thought: "...and  He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own..."
Have a blessed day :)

His Gift of Love...

   Tonight I would like to share some thoughts on the goodness and graciousness of my Father, as I have seen through the interaction with two of my sons. My  two youngest sons ‘sought me out’ tonight, to hopefully fulfill a desire they had… with big, bright, hopeful eyes they asked if they could have some change they had found in the bottom of my purse (they are “saving for something”). It sounds sweet, and simple enough. So simple, in fact, it’s easy to miss the significance of what I began to see. My children don’t have any money, or “income” of their own that they receive on a regular basis. Everything they need is supplied for them, and if they want something above and beyond their basic needs, they have to come and ask for it. They have no means in which to obtain it on their own. They even have to ask “permission” if it is even “all right” for them to have (or possess) what it is that they want. They are totally dependant  upon their father (or parents) for everything they  have or don’t have, for everything  they need or don’t need, and for everything they want-or don’t want. Getting the picture here? I could have “all the money in the world” or ‘only 52 cents’ … but it is within my “power” (not theirs) on whether I give it to them, whether they receive what they so desire. What a very simple thing to say “Yes” to my boys, and fill them with glee! What a very small effort it takes to bless my sons—because I love them and want to give to them. Out of my abundance or out of my lack, my heart is always reaching out to them… and I saw the heart of my Father, in the same way, reaching out to His children in love. And He has no lack!

   I thought of the Scriptures, where it says in Psalms 84:11 “… no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly”; and in Romans 8:32 “…how shall He not with Him (the Messiah) also freely give us all things?”; and in James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness,neither shadow of turning.” I began to weep! Not because of all the  material things I’ve been able to enjoy throughout my life, nor for the freedoms I’ve enjoyed living in America, or even for “the best things in life are free” that GOD has given to me to enjoy… BUT because I saw His greatest gift, out of His great love, He did not withhold from His creation. He so loved, He gave—His best. He so loved, He gave—all He had. He so loved, He gave—His precious and only begotten Son. What manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us! That while we were yet sinners, the Messiah died for the ungodly. He so loved, HE GAVE—that we could have life and life more abundantly. Hallalujah to our GOD!

   But let us not be carnal and self-deceived, in our fleshly selfishness and greed, for we know by the very life and teaching of our Messiah that life does not consist in the abundance of things (Luke 12:15). But IN HIM is life, and His life is the light of men. What a joyous thought! What a glorious gift! Knowing that if the Spirit of Him that raised Yahshua from the dead dwells in us, He that raised up the Messiah from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in us!!! Oh, how my heart sings unto YAHWEH my GOD! The hymn “How Great Thou Art” rings in me so loud and clear!                                            

Blessings to you all…

*A JOYFUL THOUGHT: I will love the LORD my GOD with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind.  J

Thanksgiving...

“Thanksgiving” has come to be more of a “holiday” or “celebrated tradition” more than a way of life for most. Sad to say, it isn’t a true reflection of our attitude in living and it isn’t usually a true expression of a genuine thankfulness, gratefulness, and appreciation to God, and others, in our “everyday life”. It doesn’t even seem to really be very important or acknowledged any other time of year, even among ‘believers’. But as you observe the history of the Pilgrims, and the “first Thanksgiving”, you will see it was their genuine thankfulness of heart in their every day living that produced the very first Thanksgiving. It was a sincere desire to express their gratitude and joy, not an attempt to establish some type of tradition or ritual to be followed.


The history of the Pilgrims is truly inspiring, for they were a people that lived a life of thanksgiving unto God…and they certainly endured much harsher conditions than anyone I personally know. Yet, they were not regretful-nor complaining. They remained truly thankful in all things, totally trusting God for their future and depending upon Him for everything. These people chose to journey to this land believing it was the will of God for them. A land where they would be free to worship Him in a way they believed in their heart was true. A land where they could raise their children to serve and honor GOD and His Word, rather than continue under the “bondage of the ‘Church of England’”, which they believed was heresy. This love for God and devotion for Him that they held in their heart produced a determination in them that held them steadfast—even under the most devastating and fatal conditions. I believe it was Yahweh (YHWH) that provided the grace they needed to produce the courage, patience, longsuffering, and endurance that was so evident in their lives. I believe God’s pure love naturally produced thankful hearts and thankful living. The First Thanksgiving During the first year that the Pilgrims lived here, they suffered many hard things. They landed in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1620 (they later scouted out land suitable to build a colony, which they named Plymouth). New England winters are cold and snowy, and their food supply was limited. They had to wait until spring to plant crops. Even the animals took shelter, so there was little game for the hunters that first winter. They also had to build a ‘Common House’ that would have to be a house, fort, and ‘church building’ for all 102 Pilgrims that winter. Many became sick, and at one time there were only 7 strong enough to care for the rest that were sick. By spring, half of the Pilgrims had died. Yet, when the Mayflower sailed back to England in April 1621—not one Pilgrim returned with it.

That spring, God sent some ‘Indians’ (Native Americans) to help the remaining Pilgrims learn to plant crops, fish, and hunt more effectively in the “different” land they had come to. They were also able to build some individual homes that spring. The Pilgrims were so thankful for God’s mercy during their first hard year, that on November 21, 1621, after the crops had been harvested- they set aside a special time for giving thanks to God and feasting. They had over 90 Indians join in their celebration. It lasted for 3 days! They hunted, gathered berries, cooked, played games, and the Bible was read out loud for everyone to hear (including the Indians that joined them). The Pilgrims and the Indians offered prayers and thanks unto God.

In a letter to a friend in England, Edward Winslow, one of the Pilgrims, described the first Thanksgiving:

Our corn did prove well, and, GOD be praised, wehad a good increase of Indian corn…Our harvestbeing gotten in, our governor sent four men onfowling, that so we might after a more specialmanner rejoice together after we had gathered thefruit of our labors…And although it be not alwaysso plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet, bythe goodness of GOD, we are so far from want thatwe often wish you partakers of our plenty. *Interesting Tidbits:

The first Thanksgiving, they ate deer and fish as well as turkey; and among all the corn, pumpkins, berries and nuts, they had popcorn!

The Second Thanksgiving of 1623I know this has been lengthy, but I couldn’t speak of the history of Thanksgiving without mentioning the second Thanksgiving of 1623. It really touches me to see their dependence on God and their faith that prayer would make a difference…and it DID. What a witness and testimony to the Indians, as well as to US!

Although the previous winter had been damp, the summer of 1623 was so dry that it soon seemed as if the Pilgrims’ crops would perish for lack of rain. The Pilgrims set aside a special day for prayer and fasting, and for nine hours they prayed to God for help. Some Indians, hearing that the Pilgrims were going to pray for rain, watched the sky to see what would happen. When the sky finally clouded over and a gentle rain began to fall, the Indians remarked in awe-stricken tones that the God of the white man had heard the white man’s prayers. Ten days of rain followed this day of prayer, and the crops were saved. The Pilgrims were so grateful for God’s mercy that they again set aside a special time of thanksgiving. At each plate they placed five kernels of corn, so no one would forget God’s provision during their time of great lack and need.

Thanksgiving didn’t become a national holiday until Abraham Lincoln declared it in 1863, during the War Between the States (the Civil War). Four other presidents had denied it, but a lady named Sarah Hale was very persistent in writing and petitioning each president (for 38 years!) to see that the whole nation would celebrate Thanksgiving on the same day every year. In those years, Thanksgiving had almost been abandoned altogether. Thanks to the perseverance of Sarah Hale, and the honorable heart of President Abraham Lincoln, Thanksgiving is now a national holiday.

I hope you have been as touched and inspired as I have, and hopefully your personal celebration of this holiday will be enriched as you reflect on its beginnings as well as the hearts of those who first celebrated unto Yahweh; our great God and Creator.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Joy

CHARITY NEVER FAILETH

I have been thinking about all the things 'we' allow ourselves to become disappointed, discontented, and offended (angry and/or hurt) over... things that we should not allow to have such control over our attitude and our mind... things we should really let "roll off our back" like water on a duck (even the "hard" things). I have been thinking about how 'we' tend to be "caught off guard" or even surprised when someone "fails" us in some way... or when "offenses" come. I am really 'amazed' at -even my own- "christian" immaturity. But, let the truth fall where it may- it REMAINS TRUE.

'Our' expectations set us up for a great number of disappointments- in people and in our life's circumstances.
Have we still not grasped the basic principles of our LORD's teaching? Have we still remained so self-absorbed that we fail to "hear" the message of HIS voice? When we learn to live, give, serve, love, and just "be"- without expecting anything in return for ourselves (even the "feeling" of being appreciated, or the "feeling" of gratification for some "good thing" we have said or done, etc.) THEN maybe we can come closer to the point of understanding the concept of "laying our lives down".

EXPECT FAILURES (disappointments, offenses, hurts...)! When Paul wrote to our brothers and sisters living in Corinth at that time, he made them aware that even 'prophecies' would "fail" (1 Cor. 13:8). I would not dare add to the Scriptures, but my own thoughts along these lines could read: "Where there be men, they shall fail; where there be women, they shall fail; where there be children, they shall fail; where there be husbands, wives, sons, daughters, family members, friends, aquantances, pastors, co-workers, "church congregations", all human kind: THEY SHALL FAIL... where there be hopes and dreams, THEY SHALL FAIL.... where there be gifts, talents, abilities: THEY SHALL FAIL... where there be governments, kings, queens, rulers upon the earth: THEY SHALL FAIL... where there be mentors, teachers, "heros" of any kind: THEY SHALL FAIL... where there be "ANY 'GOOD' THING": IT SHALL FAIL. Point taken, I'm sure... All this to say: ONLY CHARITY NEVER FAILETH. ONLY YHWH (and HE being LOVE) NEVER FAILS. THAT'S IT. PERIOD. NOTHING ELSE.

We are blessed indeed to have a copy of the Scriptures, where we can read a record of some of the words and teachings of our LORD as HE walked this earth as a man teaching frail humanity the TRUTH and REALITY of what is REALLY RIGHT according to how our Father and Creator views things and feels about things. If we will take heed and listen, we will gain great insight into our Father's heart. Notice the many different times YAHSHUA (JESUS, in the English language) taught us to be selfless and expecting NOTHING from others. This is how HE lived, and taught HIS followers and disciples to live. Matthew, chapters 5-7, and Luke, chapter 6, are worthy of frequent reading and meditation. For lack of time and space, I want to draw your attention to Luke 6:35 which reads:" But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, HOPING FOR NOTHING AGAIN, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for HE is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."

When we simply love and give of ourselves, being longsuffering and merciful, forbearing one another's faults (keeping conscience our own imperfections) then we are living in HIS kingdom, in HIS heart. I'm not advising to embrace sin; but to "make room" for others in their pesonality differences, in thier faults and mistakes, and in their differences of opinions. We are told to be forgiving of those that offend us or do wrong unto us. We are told to go to our brother if we suspect that he has an offence toward us. We are told to get along with others peaceably as much as is within our power. We are to be peacemakers. We are to edify the body of Christ, to encourage, to lift up, to be kind one to another. We are to be Christ in this earth. All of this is easier when we make a conscious effort to not be easily offended and to not be quick to anger and to not provoke those things in others. The wrath of man worketh NOT the righteousness of GOD. Let us be mindful of what we "allow" ourselves to be ruled by (our flesh/emotions or the Spirit of YAHWEH).

HIS grace does NOT insure us an "easy" life! It insures us the ability to "rise above" the things that try to destroy us in our flesh. It insures us the ability (in HIM) to love and forgive others, to show mercy, to endure hardness, and to escape the world's lusts and desires THROUGH HIM. Don't live this side of eternity expecting FULL righteousness to reign in this temporal earth. Live this side of eternity expecting that ONLY CHARITY never fails!

*a JOYFUL thought: John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that IN ME ye might have PEACE. In the world ye SHALL have tribulation: but BE OF GOOD CHEER; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD." !!!  : D



  

When the Frost Is on the Punkin by James Whitcomb Riley

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,

And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock, 

And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,

And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;

O, it's then the times a feller is a-feelin' at his best,

With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,

As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,

 When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

  They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere

When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here-

Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,

And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;

But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze

Of crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days

Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock-

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

 The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,

And the raspin' of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn;

The stubble in the furries- kindo' lonesome-like, but still

A-preachin' sermons to us of the barns they growed to fill;

The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;

The hosses in theyr stalls below- the clover overhead!-

O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!