Just a thought!!

I have been reading Matthew 5, 6, 7 each day and I glean something new from the words of Jesus as he sits teaching His disciples.

Today it is in thinking about a dear friends going through a hard place and the thought that their feet are planted on a rock. Jesus Christ is the rock of our salvation and He will not move if we stay stationed on Him.

Matthew 7:
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25. the rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27. the rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
28. When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29. because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

In looking at our lives which of the foundations and where our feet are planted. Are they on the rock that is stable, unmovable and dependable or sand that causes everything under us to move and wash away?

Haying Season finally!!

We are finally having some sun or as least for a couple of day. We are wrapping because of the wetness of the lands. Here is son-50, gramp-69 and granddaughter-13. Three generations -what a beautiful sight and of course, I captured it with my camera. Hay is baled in the field and brought home and put on a machine that granddaughter runs and is wrapped in plastic. It will ferment over the winter and contains a lot of nutrients. The cows really like it. We do not feed grain. We have raised beef for a lot of years and have our own meat. There are no additives. Here is Alli running the wrapper. This is her third year and she is very skilled at it. What a joy to Gramp!! She loves to farm so he is really happy about that. She has a horse, goat and takes care of them herself.

To everything there is a season!!

Joseph and his value

As a quilter there is a quote, ‘throw me a piece of scraps and I will make a quilt’
Have you ever stopped to think about your life? How many times we see the scraps or pieces in our lives that we wonder what the Lord can do with. I have a friend who is a skilled quilter and really enjoys the process of those little pieces. She will make a plan and begin to cut carefully and fit them together and when they are done it will be something that is beautiful and of value. A creator has the ability to see what others do not.

In the book of Genesis, Joseph’s father had made him a coat of many colors and his brother hated him for it and is jealous. Joseph has a dream and shares it with them and his father and its gets him in more trouble. The brothers plot to kill him; they strip him of his robe and throw him into an empty cistern. He finds himself in a precarious position, a place of insignificance, a dry place, a place of separation. We find Judah standing in between a plot by his brothers to kill and a brother in a predicament. Judah means praise. Praise will always stand between betrayal, threat and accusation.

God sees the value in Joseph and He will walk him through a process that will eventually bring him into leadership. He later is used as a valuable vessel with his brothers who hated him and he will become their salvation in a land of famine.

I believe Joseph knew who he was with or without the coat that his father made for him. God had a plan and man tried to thwart it. It says of him many times, ‘the Lord gave him success in everything he did.’

If you have pieces that look hopeless or you stand accused, betrayed or a plot against you. Let Praise fill you. Throw him the pieces of your life and let Him create something beautiful.

Heart of Gladness

"He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him

occupied with gladness of heart." Ecclesiastes 5:20 (NIV)

How many times an effectual door is opened and we are thrilled and elated at the prospect of ministry and then for some reason it is closed and our heart sinks.

What is the reaction of our heart in regard to our emotions. Is it turned heavenward or earthward. Do we find disappointment, questioning etc taking over our thoughts.

If we allow God to keep our heart filled with gladness we would find that disappointments are a stepping stone to something greater. A door has to be closed before another will open. There is also a process of walking from one door to the other.

I heard a pastor once say that Jesus was Father conscious and not earthly conscious. Lift your eyes unto the hills where your help comes from. Be glad and Rejoice in Him!!!

Unfailing Love in a shaking world

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, 'says the Lord, who has compassion on you" Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)

Every day there is something new from our government that is shaking all that has been familiar. But know this, there is one thing that will not be shaken and that is His unfailing love for us. That is a certainty. And in Him is everything you need. Is your need

• PEACE
• JOY
• SECURITY
• HEALING

He is the peace that passes understanding...He is Joy Unspeakable - the joy of the Lord is our strength....We are hidden with Christ in God.....In Him we live and move and have our being. He is Jehovah Ropheka, my healer.....HE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED HIM TO BE WHEN YOU NEED HIM.

'For God so loved the world(YOU) that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Blessings of God

Life on a farm is always a challenge. We have 31 animals at present. Eleven babies were born this season. We pray the mothers will all deliver and accept their babies plus so many other things that can go wrong. Throughout the summer we switch pastures from one side of the road to the other. And what a time we had the first time this year. We had babies going in all directions and a couple of cows that had never put their feet on tar simply stopped. It took 3 adults and 3 kids plus a driver who was stopped and waiting to conquer the job and get them into the pasture. They will go easier the rest of the summer now they have done it once.

The children love to come and see the little ones. This is Uncle Richard and Jolene walking carefully through the pasture. He is the only one that can do this and the cows do not run. He says, 'They know the master's voice' This is a picture when I got too close and they ran. Their mothers were not far away.
I took a lot of pictures this year and really like this shot. The only thing that comes to mind is 'the blessing of the Lord is rich and adds no sorrow'

Four things you can't recover.

I was cleaning out my document folder and came across this little saying. I do not know where it came from but it is so true and gives one 'food for thought'.

The Stone ......after the throw

The Occasion....after its missed

The word.....after it's said

The time....after it's gone

How many time stones have been thrown that have hurt someone. I remember years ago God spoke to me and said 'Don't throw the stone' and 'Don't receive the stone'.

Occasions that we miss. A card we could have sent, a baked good, or tell someone we prayed for them today....and 'I love you'..and on and on....

The word that can give life or death to someone. Many years ago a preacher told the story of a woman who gossiped. And God said to her, 'it was like taking a pillow and going up on the roof and letting the feathers fly wherever they wanted. It would be impossible to go pick them all up.' Our words that hurt another can never be retrieved after they are said.

Our time that is precious and so fleeting. Taking the time to sit in Father's presence and let Him love on us and commune with us. How precious.

These are thoughts to think about today in our lives and remember a little saying,

'Yesterday is history,

Tomorrow is a mystery,

but today is a gift.

That is why it is called present.'