One morning there was a lot going on in our quiet little cul-de-sac. One house was adding an extra section of concrete to their driveway. Another one was having a gas line put in from the road to their house. There were two big trucks with trailers and equipment, one on each side of the road, and two pick-up trucks.

When we went for our walk, we had to wind our way around all the obstacles, not just once, but each time we passed them on our usual path of walking. In life there are obstacles in our way that sometimes we can avoid or ignore. At other times we walk around them, trying to take the path of least resistance.

Sometimes the way is blocked. One of the trucks was parked in front of our mailbox and we saw our mailman coming down the street. Since he had seen us walking before, instead of trying to fight his way to our mailbox, he simply waited until he caught up with us and handed the mail to us. When troubles come, sometimes we can find a quick and easy solution to the problem. At other times the answer may not come quickly or easily!

In either situation, we can always ask for wisdom and help through prayer. ( Neh. 4:5, 6, 9 ) ( James 1:5 )   Again,  let me say, the answer may come right away, but not always. God knows what we need and He knows when we need it. Trusting Him for the solution, as well as the timing, can be difficult, but our faith is in an all-knowing God. He sees the past, the present, and the future.

So when obstacles block the path you prefer to take, choose how you will respond, not just react. We could have gotten angry, stormed back in the house, and fussed and pouted about those people disturbing our walk, but we chose to walk around the obstacles and continue to enjoy the fresh air and cool breeze. When more difficult times come, I pray that I can remember to approach them with the right spirit and attitude.

SURPRISE! Have you ever been surprised by your family or friends giving you a party when you did not expect it? Recently I was invited to a surprise party for a cousin who was turning sixteen. The date was planned for the weekend after her birthday so she did not suspect, and the look on her face when she walked in, as well as her beautiful smile all evening, let her family know they had succeeded with the surprise party.

Surprises can take many forms in life. Some, like a party, are enjoyable and leave us with memories for a lifetime. Others bring joy for a short time, such as meeting a friend from your past and reminiscing. Other surprises can be momentary and fleeting, like catching a glimpse of a beautiful butterfly or a hummingbird.

As I walk or ride around outside, I often see things in nature that can be unexpected, such as little creatures. With most of them I feel perfectly safe, but occasionally I am surprised. Recently, on our front porch light we had an unwelcome visitor, yes, the big black snake!! Even though this kind is not supposed to be harmful, I did not want to get close to it. Thank the Lord for cameras with zoom!

The zoom lens can also bring some surprises from the everyday things we pass by (or walk on). That tiny white spot in the picture proved to be this spectacular formation of lichen. If we look closely, we can see tiny little purple flowers or pinkish blooms in the clover, as well as colors and details in the green ground cover.

As wonderful as these surprises can be, there are some things that are not what we ever want, such as a phone call in the middle of the night, or unexpected results about our health. But even when these things come to us, let’s not be surprised to find that God is right there with us. He knows every detail of what we are going through.

There are many scriptures that reassure us of His loving care, even in times when we don’t feel His presence. God is good and He can be trusted in every situation. Turn to Him and you may be surprised by how He works all things for your good!

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. (Romans 8:28 AMP)

Is. 41:10

Is. 43:1-2

Ps. 46:1-3

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (II Corinthians 9:8 NIV)

Recently while doing a bible study of this verse, I found a quote that said that “abounding” is used of a flower going from a bud to full bloom. This amaryllis was a gift from my neighbor at Christmas. The instructions said that you didn’t have to do anything to the plant, not even water it, just watch it bloom. Wow! That’s the kind of plant we all can enjoy.

The first picture was taken on December 29^th. By January the eighth all four buds had opened to full blooms. Even though the flowers only lasted for a few days before beginning to fade, the bulb can be planted and will grow and flower again. Of course, it will be around a year before that happens! So you receive the gift, with anticipation for it to bloom, enjoy the beautiful flowers, dig a hole and plant the bulb, wait and hope that it will grow and bloom again next year. That seems like a lot of “work” for something that starts out so simply.

Not many things in our world today are simple. Buying groceries used to be easy: make a list and pick up the items. Now there are so many varieties of almost every kind of food, from cereal to chips to bread, and the list goes on. And when it is time to pay, do you insert, swipe, tap, or be on of those rarities who still uses cash!

In verses 6-7 of I Corinthians 9, God talks about the choices we make in giving. We decide in our heart whether to give sparingly or generously, reluctantly or under compulsion, or the way God loves—a cheerful giver.

Verses 8-11 reveal that God is able to bless abundantly in all things at all times, having all you need. That sounds like what we want, but the end of verse eight says the purpose is to abound/bloom in every good work. And verse eleven says you will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion—and this will result in thanksgiving to God.

So take time to “count your blessings” and look for opportunities to give to others, whether through finances, gifts, time, service, words, etc. Then as you give thanks to God for His gifts to you, others will be blessed and give thanks to God also.

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.  (II Corinthians 9:6-11 NIV)

A couple of days ago I heard some birds singing. When I looked out the window, I saw several robins hopping around in the yard. My first reaction was rejoicing, because the robins were a sign that spring is not far away.

Today was a warm day, so I went outside to walk and do a little work in the yard. I saw these little green shoots pushing their way up. In a few days they will have little yellow crocus flowers. In the neighbor’s yard, there were yellow daffodils blooming already.

Back to the robins! We used to call them robin-red-breast. Red is a color that we often see in winter. Occasionally we have cardinals in our yard. (I have only been able to capture a picture of the female.) The leaves of the dwarf nandina bushes turn red in winter. Around town you can see red berries on holly and nandina bushes.

Flowers such as poinsettias, amaryllis, and Christmas cactus boast of red blooms.

Recently I saw more of the color red than I wanted to see. My husband had to have a heart procedure. The surgery went well, but afterward they had difficulty getting the bleeding to stop from one of the sites. Thank the good Lord, after many hours they were successful.

Watching the blood and the medical team work with him, I thought about the blood of Jesus. As a human, Jesus suffered the loss of blood from the beatings and the crown of thorns on His head, as well as the spear that pierced His side. Jesus went through this willingly.

As God, the blood of Jesus that was shed allows us to ask for and receive forgiveness for our sins and healing for our bodies. What a wonderful gift He has given us. All we have to do is ask, believe, and receive!

Ephesians 1:7-8

⁷ He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. ⁸ He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. (NLT)

⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, (NIV)

Once upon a time there was a beach ball who lost its way. It lay on the side of the road, neglected, with no one to help it find its way to the beach or maybe to a nearby swimming pool.

One person came walking by and saw it and thought about how nice and bright its colors were. She even wondered why it was there and who it belonged to.

A gentle breeze blew the ball into the middle of the road. There it could enjoy the warmth of the sunshine, just as it might at the beach. But danger lurked if a car came down the street.

A burst of wind came along and blew it to the other side of the road where it landed behind a parked car. The owners of the car came out, got in the car and drove away, totally ignoring the little ball, even leaving it in the shadows.

Eventually the wind carried it out of the shadows, across the road to a grassy spot near a mailbox. Oh, but wait! This is the house where I belong, ‘thought’ the beach ball. Soon the little one who loves to play with me will come and take me back to the pool. And it was so happy!

This little story came to me as I was walking one day. It reminded me of a parable told by Jesus that is called the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37 NLT). How often we see people in need along our way and ignore them. We may even notice how they look on the outside. Some may be obviously needy by the way they look, but most needs cannot be discerned by what we see at a glance.

Maybe we can’t meet their needs in the same way the Samaritan did, but we can try to be more aware of those we encounter. Sometimes a smile or a listening ear can be a great encouragement. Or if you are prompted (by the Holy Spirit) to do more, don’t let the opportunity pass you by. You will be the one who is blessed!

³⁶ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

³⁷ The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” (Luke 10:36-37 NLT)

As I sit here in the sunroom, listening to and watching the rain, another sound comes in. My phone just gave me an alert for a flash flood warning, telling me not to travel unless I am trying to avoid flood waters.

A few minutes earlier I had been taking pictures of our yard, which now looks more like a lake and a river. We also have a creek bed beside the house (runoff from a pond) which is usually dry. Today it is flowing freely because of the hours of continuous rain.

We watched the local news and they were showing pictures of flooded streets in many places in the area. The weather broadcasters were giving the warnings for people to avoid driving or to drive slowly. The slogan “turn around, don’t drown” is used often on days like this.

Warnings come to us in many forms. From early days parents say “don’t touch” to try to protect their child. Every time we drive, we see the yellow and red lights or stop signs that warn us of the possibility of danger (if we ignore them!). Advertisements for drugs that are designed to help us also carry warnings of side effects that can harm us.

When reading Matthew 24 and 25 this morning, I noticed there were many warnings in these chapters. One of the main ones was that we should not be deceived by false teachers (Mt. 24:4) or false teachings (Mt. 24:24). Knowing the truth of God’s Word is the key to discerning right from wrong.

⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (KJV)

²⁴ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (KJV)

Matthew 25 warns of what can happen based on the choices we make. Are we being wise or foolish (the ten virgins)? How are we using the gifts God has given us (the five, two, and one talents)? The chapter ends with the way we respond to the “least of these”. When we choose to meet the needs of others, in big or small ways, Jesus says we are doing this for Him. Let’s get busy!

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (NIV)

From the sunroom in the mornings, we sometimes see one or both of the two cats our neighbor has been feeding. Both are tabby cats, one male and one female. We nicknamed the male Tommy and the female Bobbie because she has a bobbed tail. They seem to like to find a sunny spot during these cold days.

This morning Bobbie was sitting beside the neighbor’s house, between two bushes. My husband looked and commented that he could barely see her when she was lying down because she was blending in with the bricks on the foundation of the house.

As I was writing this, I just turned around and looked and she had come back to the sunny spot. I had to use the zoom on my camera to see her clearly. The color of her coat blended with the color of the bricks. This can be one of the ways God provides protective camouflage for His creatures. The bricks may also be providing some warmth on this cold day.

During this Christmas season are we guilty of trying to blend in, instead of standing out, with the message and meaning of Christ’s birth. We may say “happy holidays” and tell ourselves it is the same as “happy Holy-days”. Or we get in a rush and write Xmas instead of Christmas, again telling ourselves that the “X” is really a symbol for the word “Christ”.

Sometimes we focus on the angels or the star, which are a part of God’s story, but we miss out on the main character—the Babe in the manger who is the Son of God.

Even our churches may want to blend with the world with their decorations or music. I saw one church that had a blow-up Santa Claus, and even in my church last Sunday, the pre-service music included “Let It Snow”. (During the service we did sing songs that honored Christ.)

As we go through this week, let us check up on ourselves—how we decorate, the music we listen to, even the shirts and sweaters we wear! We can use even the secular celebrations as a doorway to open talks with someone about the true meaning of “Christ”-mas. And don’t forget to say Merry Christmas every chance you get!!

Luke 2:11-12 (KJV)

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.                                                                                                                                             

While walking around my yard, I heard the sound of a cacophony of crows flying into and landing in the tops of the trees nearby. I went looking to get a closer view of them. They sounded like they were either fussing at each other or were agitated at something around them. I couldn’t see anything unusual.

After a few minutes, they flew away and, or course, took their noisy sounds with them. When I went inside, I looked up the meaning of the word cacophony. The basic word comes from “bad sound”. It was further defined as a harsh discordant mixture of sounds.

When I looked at some of the synonyms, their meanings, and examples of usage, several of them had to do with music or the sounds of people or animal voices. We have been helping to feed the neighbor’s two cats while they were away. As we would walk toward their bowls, sometimes we would hear them meowing before we saw them.

The meowing or purring of a cat can be comforting to some people. So can the barking of a dog who greets its owner when he or she arrives home. But the growl of an unknown dog or the rattle of a snake can create fear in an instant.

In the same way a human voice can bring comfort or fear. The cry of a child or a baby can bring a parent running to see what is wrong. But laughter from that same little one brings joy and a smile. The tone or inflection in a voice sometimes gives more meaning than the words being said. One of the disadvantages of texts and emails is that you don’t hear the voice and the emotion behind the message.

The book of Proverbs includes many verses about how and when to speak. These verses from Ephesians also give some good advice for all of us as we relate to others. (Eph. 4:25, 29, 31-32 NLT)

²⁵ So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

 ²⁹ Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. ³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

As the days are getting shorter, when I come to the sunroom later in the day, I need a light to see to read or write. Since I don’t really like to turn on the overhead light, I looked for another option. I found a book light on a string that I had bought many years ago. Unfortunately, as you might expect, the batteries were dead.

Thinking changing them as going to be a simple task, I found the place for the batteries and the lever you push to open the chamber. However, there was one obstacle! There was a tiny little screw that had to be removed first. So the next step was to find a tiny little screwdriver. Fortunately, I had one of those gadgets where you have a hammer and different sizes of screwdrivers nested in the handle.

Finding the right size, I tried to unscrew it, but it would not turn. After a few tries, I gave up. For several days I would attempt to loosen it, each time with no success. Then this morning, as you might have already guessed, it dawned on me that I had been turning it the wrong way! Left to loosen, right to tighten.

Now I could see what kind of batteries were needed and make the change. That simple task was completed within a few minutes. Now I had power for when I need the light.

How often in life do we complicate things by turning the wrong way. Doing the right thing may be hard, so we choose the simple path, which may not always be bad, but might not be God’s best for us.

Fixing things after we have made a wrong turn is not always easy or even possible. But we can turn to a God who will forgive us no matter the outcome of our actions. Jonah, in spite of his wrong turn, said this about the Lord.

 I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. (Jonah 4:2b NLT)

Falling . . . Floating . . . Twirling . . . Twisting . . . Swirling . . . Flitting . . . Drifting . . . Turning

As I walked on this warm autumn day, there was a cool breeze blowing the leaves all around me. As I looked up, one particular leaf was twirling as it flew to the ground. The leaves were hitting me on the head and hitting the camera as they drifted by. There was a beautiful blue sky in the background as I watched them.

The sound of these falling leaves reminded me of a crackling fire. I enjoy walking through the fallen leaves and hearing the rustle. It kind of makes me feel like a kid again!

Even though I enjoy seeing the leaves as they fall, they are a reminder of the days to come when the trees will be bare. The beautiful colors of autumn are only here for a short season. We all go through seasons in our life. Some bring us joy; some bring us pain.

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven: (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV)

This familiar verse and those that follow (2-8) give us an extensive list of times that we encounter in our lives. They are paired as opposites that can help us to see that even though the negative things are there, for each there is a possibility of something positive.

Only after the leaves have fallen can we see the shapes of the branches on the winter trees, especially when they are highlighted by a lovely sunrise or sunset behind them. Once the leaves are gone, more sunlight can pass through to brighten and warm us as winter comes.

Whatever season you may be experiencing as you read this, know that it will pass. Seasons come and seasons go. But take time to read and reflect on God’s promise in Ecclesiastes 3, that there is a time for every purpose under heaven. My prayer is that you will enter a time and season of peace, love, laughter, and dancing!

A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
³ A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
⁷ A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace. ( Ecc. 3:2-8 NLT)