Training

What a hope we have as mothers and fathers.  The tender effort we put forth to raise our children in Christ will be  rewarded.  It may not  look like it at times but this is a  scripture that we can hold on to in the hard times with our children.  The evidence is  there for  us to see in many instances.  I have seen  it in  my own house, having raised five children.  There comes a time when after the training, we have to let them fly.  Giving them their free  will and wings.  We must have faith that our children will not depart from  the training that they had. The sad thing is that many are not trained and are set out  in life to  flounder.  We as parents must not let this happen to our children.  We must train them up in the way of the Lord.  Then when they are grown we can sit back and watch them take on the  role of trainers with our  grandchildren.  It is a beautiful hope that we have and can hang on to in the toughest of times as long  as we did our  part.   I saw this mother swallow just chattering away at her baby bird, that appeared to be ready to leave home.  The Lord spoke this scripture into my heart when I saw this little family.

Thirst No More

Jesus says,”If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”That is quite a promise. Out of our belly shall flow rivers of living water.  He fills us to overflowing and the overflow spills out and gives others a drink of  that precious water.  I  think of a precious song that we love to  sing.  “I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me.  Makes the lame to walk and the  blind to see.  Opens prison doors,  sets the  captives free.”  There is so much we can do with this river that we have.  However as I studied psalm 23:2, “He leadeth me  beside  still waters”.  It became clear to me that sheep are afraid  of fast moving waters and will not drink there.  The shepherd has to dam a spot to  still the flow so they will  drink.  Sometimes I think as Christians we can let our water bubble over a little  too fast and in turn, we can scare unsaved sheep.  Someone standing on the corner yelling Jesus saves is well intended but may be scaring sheep.  Or the person with Jesus stickers covering their entire car can startle sheep.  We all can get so excited about the life we have found that we scare those thirsty sheep, so still that living water a little and let the Lord show you how  to give them a drink. We don’t want to scare those unsaved sheep with our torrents of excitement and desire.  Let the Lord lead and you will be able to share all that the Lord has given you.  A Shepherd looks  at Psalm 23  by Philip Keller is a wonderful book about the sheep and how the Shepherd cares for them.

Its Better To Give

The old saying, that it is better to give than to receive, is so true.  For several years now, since my husband has been sick, God has been showing me this truth.  Jerry has been in and out of the hospital and had some very long stays.  One of the last was for three months.  During those times and the times with him at home I have kept myself busy and endeavored to bless the nurses and hospital staff where ever we had spent time.  I think nurses are like angels.  Such heart, and courage I see in them.  A great nurse will also be filled with compassion and I have seen so much of that towards my husband.  So at Christmas I made Christmas tree’s for all the nurses in one hospital.  At valentines day he was in a rehab to get on his feet again.  I made over 100, heart pins for the staff there.  Now I am in cancer care myself getting infusions every two weeks, and I have made hearts for my nurses at Valentines Day.  I get such good care there, and love each of those nurses.  Its fall now here in Colorado.  The trees are turning their beautiful array of colors.  I decided to make fall flower pins for them.  After I made them I heard that still small voice of the Lord that said” make them for those with cancer too. ” Then I heard, “the word of the Lord is healing” so I printed fall pictures with scripture on them and laminated them.  Attached the flowers to the card.  Once more I heard the Lord say what about the men.   So I went through all of my pictures and found manly ones with scripture and printed them.  The task was done but I had to get the courage to be the Lords ambassador there.  Would the Cancer Center allow me to hand them out?  Would it offend someone who is not a Christian?  Were they too sick to care about my little offering of sunshine?  But I put them all in a Large basket with a bow on it and took them with me.  I have never been so blessed to give, the reception was so touching and sweet.  Women and men, couples, all were smiling and ready to receive.  I got so many hugs!  I tell this, not to toot my own horn, all the glory is the Lords, but the giving of these flowers blessed me beyond my expectations.  I prayed over them and saw the joy as people would look through them as I carried around my basket.  No matter what our circumstance. The Lord can use us and it truly is more blessed to give than to receive.