Blown Away!

 

To everything there is a season.  A time for every purpose under heaven. ~Ecclesiastes 3:1

Ahh!  The first signs of fall are finally here!  The early morning temperatures dip into the high 50s and by afternoon, the sun-warmed air is a balmy 79 degrees at most.  Neither Danny nor I enjoy the hot, muggy days of summer, so these cool and breezy autumn days are a slice of heaven for us.

As many of you already know, our home is nestled in the woods.  The thick moss growing in so much shade is our lawn, and Danny takes great pride in maintaining it.  The only "yard" work in which he engages is weed-whacking in the spring/early summer and, as you may have already guessed, blowing off the leaves from the yard and driveway in the fall.

The chore is not a one-and-done activity.  Even before the leaves begin changing into their brilliant reds and yellows those which are dry, brown and brittle eagerly descend to the ground.  If Danny doesn't tackle this first invasion early, the eventual avalanche of fallen leaves will overwhelm any attempt to blow them off the moss.  No, don't ask either one of us to rake such massive amounts!

Here are some photos of Danny hard at work this past Friday and Saturday.

You may have detected a difference in the leaf blowers he's using.  The larger one with the cord is Danny's heavy-duty electric blower and the smaller one is a battery-powered model which, he concludes, is better suited to clear debris off our decks than to remove leaves from the moss.  That mistake won't be repeated.

It blows me away that with all the medial issues that have plagued Danny over these past two years, he can even begin to accomplish this task.  No small miracle!  The physical activity is good for him as his doctors want him to get exercise, but they also caution him not to overdo it.  That's, of course, my concern, too.  Danny promises me he will be mindful of his body and stop when he feels he should, not when he absolutely has to.

And that's exactly what he does.  Perhaps, this initial clearing before the impending onslaught of the millions of leaves is in full swing, will leave our yard looking loved and cared for just the way we like it.

And our carpet of moss will continue to thrive in this season of fall, fulfilling its purpose under heaven.

Amen!

Read and Worship BIG!

 

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ~Psalm 119:105

I look forward to my daily Bible reading as I seek God's wisdom and reflect upon His promises.  My goal is always to complete the entire Bible within the course of a year, and start over again when the new year rolls around.

Lately, however, this practice has become a struggle.  Not because I've ceased to enjoy it, but because no matter how I angle the light in my study room or pull the Bible closer to me, the type is frustratingly small.  I mention to Danny that, perhaps, I should look into one of those reading magnifiers that you can drape around your neck.  He promptly researches these on Amazon, but none of them look appealing, and few come with high recommendations.

Nix that!

I'll just press on in spite of the inconvenience.

Last Wednesday, I'm checking out mail and blogs on my laptop when Danny asks me what to me sounds like an out-of-the-blue question.  "Have you done your Bible reading yet today?"

I give him a quizzical look.  "Not yet.  I wanted to finish up a few things here before I go back to the middle room.  Why?"

"Just let me know what you think when you do," he says rather cryptically.

Okay, that does it!  I hastily finish up what I'm doing on the computer and retreat to my middle room study.  When I flip on the desk lamp, I can hardly believe my eyes!

Danny has unexpectedly gifted me with a large print Bible!  I'm over the moon with excitement and gratitude!  "I even made sure to order you one with a pink cover," he quips.

Yes, Danny knows my favorite girly color.  I even have a pink-colored case protecting my smart phone.

How he manages to place the order, sneak the delivery box into the house, inscribe it to me and still keep all under the cloak of secrecy is a mystery he won't divulge, and that's okay by me.

Can you see what he's written to me at the top aside my name?  Read and worship BIG!  

That first day of reading the large print version is a dream come true.  So much so, that I read way beyond my intended amount for that day.  I do so again the next day.  And the next.  And the next.

I'm still on a roll as I type this up for Tuesday's blog.  Oh, goodness, is it that time already?  Excuse me, friends, while I retreat to my favorite study place with my favorite teacher:  Our Father in heaven.

Amen!

Psalm 121

 

In reading many of your blogs and reflections this past week, I find that every one of you have been going through some rough patches in your lives as of late.  When I'm feeling overwhelmed with sadness, worry or uncertainty, I often rely on the Psalms for comfort and peace.  I thought that a selection of Danny's photos from our various trips to the mountains over the years paired with Psalm 121 might boost your spirits and bring you closer to God as you marvel at and revel in His majestic handiwork.

I will lift my eyes to the hills - From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved, He who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel  Shall never slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil, He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Amen!

Praise the Lord!

 

Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. ~Psalm 28:6

Thanks to all of your prayers and love sent Danny's way and mine, his heart ablation was a resounding success!  Yes, Dr. G. was authorized to use the yet-to-be FDA approved device for up to 60 seconds, but only needed it for 30 seconds.  Danny's heart is free of the "dead" matter and his VT is miraculously under control.  Dr. G. tried for four minutes to stimulate a VT reaction, but could not.  Hallelujah and praise be to God!  Danny will be coming home this afternoon.

May the Lord continue to bless all of you, dear friends.  Never forget the power of prayer.

Amen!

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

 

 

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. ~Psalm 17:6

On Thursday of this week, my husband, Danny, will undergo a third ablation on his heart.  The reason?  There is a spot his heart that his surgeon was unable to treat previously due to the length of time it would take and the location of this troublesome area.  This why Danny is on the medication, Amiodarone, for so long.  That works fine.  Until it doesn't.  The accumulated side effects land Danny in the hospital with pneumonia-type symptoms for eight days in July of this year.

Dr. G., his cardio surgeon and specialist, wants to have a go at another ablation instead of putting Danny on yet another drug treatment.  This requires approval for use of an advanced device from the FDA as it is used at this time only on candidates for whom other options have proved ineffective.  Think President Trump's "right to try" policy.

Needless to say, Dr. G. gets the approval he requests and, as residual effectiveness of the Amiodarone wanes, it is imperative that he schedules this procedure for Danny without delay.  He even reschedules less pressing surgical procedures in order to bump Danny up to the front of the line.

I can attest, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God has been walking steadfastly and faithfully through all the health issues and trials Danny and I have been facing together.  We know His grace is always sufficient for us and because of it, we have the hope and peace which pass all understanding.

Yes, we are praying that it's God's will to allow Danny to successfully go through this surgery and to mend as swiftly as possible.  I know that so many of my readers are valiant prayer warriors, and we are most certainly in need of your prayers at this juncture.  Please feel free to share our situation with your church families and your friends both in person and online.  Prayers are one of the best gifts we can ever give to one another, if not the very best, because we can rest assured that God always hears them.  I plan to post an update on this blog about Danny and the results on Friday.

Thank you, dear friends, for all your caring, loving hearts that carry the light of Jesus to shine into the lives of others.  May our good Lord bless and keep you!

Amen!

Courage For His Faith

 

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. ~John 8:32

I would like to be remembered for having courage for my faith. ~Charlie Kirk

This past week, our nation and the world are rocked to our very core.  Turning Point USA founder, Charlie Kirk, is brutally assassinated at Utah Valley University while engaging students in his signature "Prove Me Wrong" discussions.  In these sessions, Charlie invited anyone to question him and his conservative outlook on life, helping young people to think for themselves in logical, moral and fundamental ways while encouraging healthy, constructive debate.  He fostered civil, respectful and compassionate dialogue, showing that everyone, no matter what their political or religious persuasion deserves to be heard and treated with dignity.

In an eerie parallel to the Butler, Pennsylvania attempt to assassinate now President Trump, this shooter accessed a rooftop on the campus where crowds had gathered to hear Charlie speak and for some, to wait patiently in line to pose their questions to this unique man wise beyond his 31 years.  The perpetrator fires only one shot, but it takes only one to end a life so boldly and unabashedly lived for Jesus, and for the freedoms of speech and religion espoused the our Constitution.

But if the killer thought that his heinous act to silence Charlie would work, he was delusional.  Instead, the exact opposite, and I would add miraculous, effect resurrected beauty from ashes.  On Sunday, as I'm drafting this post, over 36,000 requests for campus chapters of Turning Point USA have poured into their headquarters.  Charlies authenticity and grace-filled love for Jesus, some have posited, has sparked a spiritual revival among Gen-Z-ers who are returning to the church in unprecedented numbers.  And more than ever, young people aren't afraid to question, speak out and speak up with the same authority, conviction and love that Charlie showed to them.

This powerful movement which Charlie began in life will only magnify and multiply in the wake of his untimely death.  And all because he knew his Lord and Savior, spoke the truth in love, and set the minds of millions free from fear and subjugation to a secular culture that is oppressive and intolerant of anyone professing faith in God.

As a physical man, Charlie literally stood head and shoulders higher than most, but his spiritual body will be a towering touchstone for not just this generation, but for countless generations to come.

I will close this post with one of Charlie's quotes about Jesus:  Let's mirror His heart, speaking truth firmly yet tenderly, trusting that only God can open spiritual eyes.

Amen, and again I say, amen!

Harbor of Rest

 

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.  The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet!  Be still!"  Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?" ~Mark 4:38-40

This past Saturday, I indulge in something I haven't felt the need to do in quite some time: Taking a nap after lunch.  Life has simply been too crazy and demanding as of late, so quiet moments when I have no looming obligations to meet are few and far between.  I'm settled in comfortably on the couch, dozing blissfully, when the unexpected happens.

>BOOM<!!!  Thunder rudely jolts me to unwanted wakefulness.  How has a peaceful, overcast afternoon morphed into a gully washer?  Rain and even pea-sized hail drum against the windows and ping off the skylights.  The wind, too, joins the percussion section, pounding our swept decks with all types of forest debris.  Who (but Jesus) could possibly sleep through this?

I certainly can't, so reluctantly, I rouse myself up, my hopes for a longer nap dashed by nature's sudden show of force.  The storm is short-lived, but the damage is done.

~

All of us will encounter storms at one point or another as we live out our days.  These storms can be literal or metaphorical, but they can feel threatening to our feelings of safety and security all the same.  It is in these times of trouble that I recall our former minister, Pastor Wallace's wise words:  "Sometimes, Jesus tells me He will keep me out of the storm, and at other times, He says, 'This looks like a good one, Wallace.  Let's ride this out together.'"

And that's precisely what Jesus is telling His disciples in Mark 4:38-40, and it's what He's still telling us today.  We need not be afraid of the storms when we walk with Him.  He will see us through them all when we place our faith and trust in His sure and saving grace.

Jesus is our anchor of stability and calm in times of chaos and confusion.  May we all know the protective harbor of rest only our Lord and Savior can give to our weary souls.

Amen!

And the winner of Cheryl Smith's Homespun Devotions - Volume Three is Glynn Young, who blogs at Faith, Fiction, Friends.  Congratulations, Glynn!  Your autographed copy will arrive soon.