What Do Ants, Hyraxes, Locusts, and Lizards Have in Common?

Proverbs 30:24-38
Four things on earth are small,
    yet they are extremely wise:
Ants are creatures of little strength,
    yet they store up their food in the summer;
hyraxes are creatures of little power,
    yet they make their home in the crags;
locusts have no king,
    yet they advance together in ranks;
a lizard can be caught with the hand,
    yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

Summer-- a time for picnics. Grilled hot dogs and burgers, corn-on-the-cob, watermelon, baked beans, and chips laid out on a red-checkered table cloth. Sounds ideal. I enjoy delicious food at an outdoor event and so do ants. If left to their own accord, the little creatures, one by one, carry crumbs off to their hills and pack the goodies away for mealtime. They're smart.

I'd never heard of the hyrax until I read this verse. They're a chubby guinea pig like mammal with the ability to dig a home in the rocks they live near. Despite their short legs, they can hollow out a hole to live in. They know how to meet a challenge.

Locust organize themselves without a leader and lizards find a way to slink into royal palaces. They're determined.

All of the creatures mentioned in Proverbs 30 are considered wise. They use the gifts God's given them to survive day-to-day. Our Father has given each of us gifts. Not just artistic abilities, but life skills. If a little ant can feed an army and a hyrax can dig a cave in the rock, I can face each day with Jesus by my side and overcome difficulties and temptations and use the abilities God's given me to bless others. So often I sell myself short and forget I'm not in this alone. I'm in it with the creator of life. Praise God for his gifts and his beautiful creation.

One Benefit of Summer

Work with all Your Heart

1 Thessalonians 1:3
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters...

In Bible college we learned about working in ministry. Many of my classmates went on to be pastors, children's ministers, and youth leaders. But most of us have worked in secular jobs. Teachers, carpenters, office managers, and librarians. I'd been home with my children for years before I worked in public. Raising kids had been my ministry and I enjoyed it. I loved encouraging and shaping their lives and ministering to their friends.

Dad was a cook in the service.

When I entered the workforce, I struggled to figure out how I was to minister when I wasn't in a ministry position. I wasn't prepared. I had days where I thought what's the point. Sure, I earned money and liked what I was doing. But, how was I to show people Jesus. When I read Colossians 3:23 it started to make sense. Whatever I do, I do for God. It's all for him. I needed to be a faithful employee, honest, encouraging and serving. So whoever I worked with or met saw Jesus in me. I have a confession. I still have days when I get down and wonder what I'm doing. Just last week I felt that way. My friend posted Col. 3:23 on Facebook, and  there it was-- the verse I needed. As a believer, no matter what I'm doing each day as long as I'm obedient and faithful to God, my work is valuable to him. He sets my path, as long as I work with all my heart and with faith, I know I'm fulfilling his purpose.

Tattered and Mended: The Art of Healing the Wounded Soul by Cynthia Ruchti (Abingdon, July 2015)

About the book:
A crumbling statue. A torn tapestry. A discolored painting.

Artisans can reclaim exquisite beauty from the broken, frayed, and hopefully shattered---perhaps once thought beyond repair. But what about us? What of the wounds that keep us from living the life we want to live?

In Tattered and Mended, readers walk through a gallery of reclaimed and restored art as well as broken and restored lives of those who have gone before us. With a gentle touch and personable wisdom, Cynthia Ruchti shows how even the most threadbare soul can once again find healing and hope.

My Review:
As an artist, sewer, and crafter, I've repaired many clothing items, afghans, quilts, and even socks. My daughter's dog chewed a hole in the quilt I designed just for her. With a bit of sadness, I pulled scraps of the fabric from my box and stitched over the huge tear. I couldn't restore it to the crisp, freshness it once had, but I could mend it and make it beautiful and useful again.

In Cynthia's book, Tattered and Mended, she tells several stories about souls who are wounded. When it comes right down to it, aren't we all. There have been times in my life when I was sure I couldn't heal. But my heavenly Father knew better. He poured his love over me and soothed my heartache. When I read what Cynthia wrote, "It's not our work, The soul wasn't our invention. It was his." I sighed in relief knowing God has my soul in his caring hands.

 This is a beautiful account of a life lived alongside the tattered and wounded. With every chapter, I knew Cynthia had lived what she wrote. She's not just spouting Bible verses. Instead she's in the ditches with the rest of us walking beside the sad, lonely, and brokenhearted, sometimes being the one who's hurting. This author is real and transparent in her experience and wisdom. As an artist, I love the examples she uses in each chapter to show restoration. I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs encouragement or insight into the art of healing.  

About the author: Cynthia Ruchti tells stories "hemmed in hope." She's the award-winning author of sixteen books and a frequent speaker for women's ministry events. She serves as the Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers, where she helps retailers, libraries, and book clubs connect with the authors and books they love. She lives with her husband in Central Wisconsin.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1H8k2LE

Find Cynthia online: website, Twitter, Facebook

Book Review: Shadows of LadenBrooke Manor by Melanie Dobson (Howard, June 2015)

About the Book:

When Heather Toulson returns to her parents' cottage in the English countryside, she uncovers long-hidden secrets about her family history and stumbles onto the truth about a sixty-year-old murder.

Libby, a free spirit who can't be tamed by her parents, finds solace with her neighbor Oliver, the son of Lord Croft of Ladenbrooke Manor. Libby finds herself pregnant and alone when her father kicks her out and Oliver mysteriously drowns in a nearby river. Though theories spread across the English countryside, no one is ever held responsible for Oliver's death.

Sixty years later, Heather Toulson, returning to her family's cottage in the shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor, is filled with mixed emotions. She's mourning her father's passing but can't let go of the anger and resentment over their strained relationship. Adding to her confusion, Heather has an uneasy reunion with her first love, all while sorting through her family's belongings left behind in the cottage. What she uncovers will change everything she thought she knew about her family's history.

Award-winning author Melanie Dobson seamlessly weaves the past and present together, fluidly unraveling the decades-old mystery and reveals how the characters are connected in shocking ways.

Set in a charming world of thatched cottages, lush gardens, and lovely summer evenings, this romantic and historical mystery brings to light the secrets and heartaches that have divided a family for generations.

My Review:
Sometimes a family's story weaves through many generations. For Walter and Maggie life's bumpy road causes tumbles, yet pushes their faith and trust in God. Melanie Dobson has done an excellent job writing the tale of loves lost and found. But the story is about so much more than romance. The love of mother and child, father and daughter, wife and husband thread through the difficult situations of life.

I savored every beautiful detail from the shipyard to the gorgeous English gardens. I'd love to live in the quaint cottage on the edge of the British village. There's something about the bucolic countryside setting that creates a relaxing book. Shadows of LadenBrooke Manor is the perfect vacation or porch read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the layered stories of life. 

About the author: 

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of thirteen historical romance, suspense, and contemporary novels. Two of her novels won Carol Awards in 2011, and Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana won Best Novel of Indiana in 2010. Melanie lives with her husband Jon and two daughters near Portland, Oregon.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1HuCCkT Find Melanie online: website, Twitter, Facebook

My Lighthouse

©Penny Frost McGinnis

He Meets Me Every Morning.

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

When is today not today? When I live in the past or long for the future. The days I can't let go of circumstances, the desire for the "good old days," or a lack of resolve over hurt feelings. How about the days I can't wait for vacation to roll around; or that longing for the weekend that starts dogging me on hump day? Then there's the fretting; what's going to happen, will this work out, will that fail. Today cannot be itself if I'm always looking back or leaning forward.

God wants me to let the past go. Learn from it, appreciate it, but let go of any hurts and forgive. He encourages me to trust him for tomorrow and all the days after that because he has them covered. Jesus urges his listeners in Matthew not to be concerned about tomorrow. Don't worry, each day has enough trouble without adding anxiety and stress.

God meets me every morning. He's with me each day. For that I am thankful.