Gladness in the Desert

Sorry to be away for so long, but a trip with my mother to visit her brother in Arizona unconnected me from the blog. While visiting my uncle, I got a new view of the beauty of the desert. We had a wonderful joy-filled time, in spite of the circumstances of his illness. There was such beauty, blessing, laughter, and celebration in our reunion. I saw amazing strength, courage, perseverance, and generosity come from my uncle. I am very proud of him. God kept reminding me of many verses from Isaiah:

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.

Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
say to those with fearful hearts,
"Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come."

Grass and reeds and papyrus will grow...
And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives...

to comfort all who mourn...

to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.

In His Hand

I chose some of the smallest blooms I saw in Idaho to illustrate the point from Psalm 103:

As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

BUT from EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING
the LORD'S love is with those who fear Him.
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According to that scripture, our days are not, in the grand scheme of things, much longer than the short season of a flower. Our days are not numbered as much more than a bloom or a fleeting vapor. What is man that God would even notice? Well, He knows each one of us by name, the number of our days, and the number of hairs on our head!

Even if no one remembers us generations after our season on earth,
we can take comfort in knowing God says,
"I have written your name on my hand."
Isaiah 49:16

Up to my Neck

Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.
Psalm 69:1-3
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I had to laugh when I came across this scripture today. You see, my granddaughter has just learned how to swim this past couple of weeks. I'm not talking about dog paddling, and making frantic progress while keeping one's head above water. I am talking about the gut-wrenching big breath before plunging your head under water with your hands stretched out in front of you, letting the "letting go" streamline your body and shoot you through the water to the waiting arms of your parent a few yards away.

Likewise, we make the most progress in trusting our Father when we take a breath, put our heads under water without being able to see; but trust that we are following His directions, following His voice, into His loving arms. The surrender, in the end, is what saves us. Paddling under our own steam with our heads above water just wears us out. It may seem safe, but it steals from us the best. Dive in and follow His voice! The fear that stops us from diving in steals the greatest adventures and desires of our hearts.

Keeping it Simple

I am at a stage of cleaning out my closet again. It happens often after a vacation that reminds me too much stuff, too much busyness, too much television, too much negativity draws the attention away from the joy and peace of the Father. I wanted to share with you some of my favorite photos that especially covered me in joy and peace, as I enjoyed some of the Father's gardens.
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I found this lovely quote in a book this morning and want to share it with you:

Let go of the people who cause constant pain; let go of the negativity that colors a room more darkly than any coat of paint. Keep close the people you love, the ones who stay engaged and open to life, who bring joy and peace to the house and garden.
~~Dominique Browning~~

A cheereful heart is good medicine.,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22

Reflection on Reflection

Here are a few reflections of mountains in lakes of Idaho. It is interesting to me that the reflection on the water is often clearer than the mountain through the atmosphere. The water reflects the true nature of the mountain, not seen as clearly through all the distortions of light and atmospheric conditions of the world's air.

I ask in the morning and thank God at night for opportunities to reflect Him. Believe me, I miss many chances. The effort is not about trying to be good or work at getting better; it is about obedience, and listening to what the Father would have me do or say. But every once in awhile I know that a simple touch or a smile shared with a store employee or a stranger in the parking lot has hit its mark. You can tell that somewhere out of you came something of the Spirit that ministered to the person who thought no one saw their pain, fear, loneliness, anxiety, and poverty. I want to be like Jesus, and reflect the Father. He was a perfect reflection. I drink the cup of confidence stirred with great humility that the Holy Spirit is transforming my image to look like Christ. No brag...just boasting in the Lord that I know He is changing my reflection. He reveals bits of his plans and purposes and gives us the power and desire to walk them out.
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They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said,

"When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him."

Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.

John 8:27