May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Philippians 1:3-6
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of
you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the
gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he
who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day
of Christ Jesus.
Teach children they have a purpose.
My friend, Bev, and I pulled into the parking lot at Truist
Arena on the Northern Kentucky University campus. We looked forward to watching
For King and Country perform their songs. As we filed in, and found our seats,
I looked around at all the people. Folks united, not just to hear the music,
but to worship God.
We were not disappointed. Joel and Luke Smallbone and their
band poured all of their energy into leading us in a time of rejoicing. In
between the songs, they told their story. Their family had traveled from
Australia to America, but when they arrived in Nashville, their father’s job
fell through. The children were young. They’d moved to a new country from a
beautiful home, and now they had nothing to speak of. No furniture, no car, no
job. The beautiful thing about their story is that their parents gathered those
youngsters together and asked them to pray. They gave them specific items to
pray for, and the kids witnessed answered prayers. They involved them in the
work they needed to do to make ends meet. They gave them responsibility.
The Smallbone children grew into adults with purpose. Doors
opened for them as they trusted God with their lives. No, we won’t all be in
the limelight, but whatever we do for God is important. Know you have purpose
in whatever you do. Seek God’s guidance and let the Holy Spirit lead.
Share God with children. Teach them God gives purpose to
every person, teach them to pray and trust the Father, then lead by example.
I haven't posted a book review for awhile. I just finished this story and wanted to share.
The Blooming of Delphinium by Holly Varni
Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
The sun’s solar flares project toward the earth, while
the earth’s magnetic field protects and sends the flares into the sky.
The northern lights usually dance in the sky at the poles of the earth, but this year, 2024, the flares trended toward epic and have shown off well into the states.
I’ve dreamed of seeing the Aurora Borealis all my life. Now
at sixty-seven years old, my dream came true. Tim and I tried to see them in
May when they visited Ohio, but they weren’t visible where we were. I also
didn’t know I needed to search for them with my phone’s camera. Then, I heard
they were back on October 10. Sure enough, in our backyard, the ribbons of
color danced across the sky. Just when I thought they had ended, a strip of red
appeared over the condo building next to ours and the show continued.
My daughter, Maggie, commented that my grandkids had
experienced two solar eclipses and the northern lights. Our youngest grandchild
is ten and here I am in my sixties just experiencing these phenomena.
As I stood in wonder of the Aurora Borealis as it shifted
and changed, my mind went to the marvel of what heaven would be like. Since God
has created such beauty on earth, imagine what our eternal home will be like.
We tend to look at the sky for its beauty. Clouds billow,
lightning flashes, stars twinkle, rainbows shine, and the moon waxes and wanes.
The heavens do declare the glory of God as He works with His hands to create
magnificent sights.
In the storms, troubling times, and everyday life look to
the sky and remember who created you and what He has in store in heaven. What a
glorious day it will be to step onto the streets of gold.
Isaiah 40:11
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his
arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with
young.
Matthew 18:12-14
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders
away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one
that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier
about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander
off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of
these little ones should perish.
As an adult, I rarely play that old childhood game,
unless one of my grandkids talks me into it. Even though I haven’t hidden
behind a tree lately, I'm sorry to say there have been times I've played hide-and-go-seek with God. I've buried my
head and ignored His wisdom, His call, or His word. Yet, He came after me and
sought me out. Why? Because He loves me no matter what. God, who created the
universe, called me by name and told me I am His child.
Jesus is often called the Good Shepherd. As a
shepherd, He searches for that single sheep that strays away from the flock. He
chases that one little lamb who lost his way. He seeks in the shadows, climbs
the mountains, tears down the walls to find that one who is lost. Once He finds
them, He holds them, loves them and gives hope beyond hope. Jesus said He's
happier about finding that one lost sheep than about the ninety-nine who stayed
put. Why? Because Jesus wants every child of His to be found, to be saved from
the evil in this world. He wants every soul to rest in Him.
In this time of uncertainty and sorrow, seek Jesus' arms. He loves like no other.
John 11:4-7
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No,
it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that
Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said
to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
A friend’s a friend forever... 
Reunion class of 1979
Krista, Debbie, and I drove in the wind and rain to Grayson, Kentucky, to join friends we’d known for forty-plus years. The alumni reunion was taking place over the weekend, and we looked forward to spending time with our forever friends.
Our crew of teenage girls met in 1975, while some of us knew each other
before we arrived on the campus of Kentucky Christian College. That year in the girls' dorm, God bound us together. Over the course of time, we went our separate ways.
I kept in touch with a couple of the girls through letters and brief visits,
but it wasn’t the same, until several of us gathered at Helen’s house (she and
Terry stayed in Grayson) several years ago. Through Facebook, we’d found each
other again, and when we gathered, it was like we’d never been apart.
Like this year, we sang songs, shared prayer needs, hugged,
and loved on each other. My soul needed the restoration of these dear friends.
In John 11, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus needed Jesus. Lazarus was
sick to the point he died, but Jesus, in His wisdom and knowledge, knew Lazarus
would live. Without the dear friendship with Jesus, Lazarus would have stayed
in the tomb. When Jesus arrived, Mary questioned why he took so long. This is
the time Jesus wept. The bond between Jesus, Mary, and Martha brought the
sister’s comfort, and the love Jesus had for Lazarus raised him from the dead.
Our friendships on earth won’t bring people back to life,
but they can restore a hurting heart or a weary soul. Fellowship with my
friends, who believe Jesus is Christ and God is our Father, fills my soul with
joy. I pray you have friends like mine, but more than anything, I pray you are
friends with Jesus.
Seek Jesus and fellowship with believers. Jesus listens and loves.
