The Father Gives Really Good Gifts

I got a wonderful gift yesterday. A lovely rocking chair.

My Rocking Chair.

I have wanted a rocking chair for a while. My mom has a couple of them on her porch and they are great to sit in and enjoy the breezes. Lowes and several other stores have rocking chairs just inside the doors. The rocking chairs they have are painted white or black. They costs about 100 dollars. The cost is what kept me from buying one before. I'm really glad I didn't get one of those now.


My brother-in-law got this one somewhere and had it sitting on the porch of his restaurant. My husband knew I liked it and managed to get it for me(with Gods help). And we didn't have to pay a $100 bucks for it. This one is also much better made than the ones they have in the stores. I think it must have been made by a craftsman and not by a factory. It is made of heavy thick wood and stained a lovely golden color. I like it much better than the ones in the stores as well.

So remember if sometimes you don't get what you think you want...maybe you are going to get something better later. And even if you don't seem to be getting anything right now...God has wonderful plans for you. In his time.

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

"Do Not Be Amazed At This" John 5:28-30

"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgement is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me." John 28-30

I really like this. All the passages that speak of the resurrection. People these days seem to have forgotten all about this. Most of the church services these days don't mention it. There are other passages that deal with the dead rising. The "dry bones" the "sea giving up the dead in it". I like those.

And he says his judgment is just,  because he seeks to please God and not to please himself. That would seem to mean that anyone who seeks to please God instead of themselves could have judgement that is Just. That would be a wonderful thing. There doesn't seem to be much all that much good judgement in the world these days. We could definitely use it.

Let us hope Jesus brings back his just judgment soon.

The Radiance of God's Glory

"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Hebrews 1:3

This is good to remember. That Jesus is the exact representation of God's being, and that he sustains all things. Everything exists because he sustains it. That includes you and me and everyone else. If he should decide to stop sustaining us...we will all drop dead immediately.

So every second of life, every breath we take, is a gift. A gift for which we should be profoundly grateful. I am glad to be alive this day. How about you?

Let All Who Take Refuge In You Be Glad

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
    let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
  that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous;
  you surround them with your favor as with a shield." Psalm 5:11-12

I love this. Especially the bit about singing for joy. Gods children are supposed to happy and joyful. And peaceful.

I have never understood why so many believe that to be a Christian you have to be solemn and joyless.

You can even dance. David did. I'm not sure I'm up for dancing...but singing...definitely! Old songs...maybe even a "new song".

"Consider The Lilies of The Field"

"And why take you thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say to you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Matthew 6:28-29

Only one of those is a lily it's true. All of them are beautifully arrayed, however and I think they all fit the spirit of the quote.

"If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" Mathew 6:30

He has clothed them wonderfully well hasn't he? And the trees too. I love the way trees look when they are all dressed up. And they make a lovely shade for sitting in.

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own." Matthew 6:31-34

I really like this. It means that if you are seeking "first" the kingdom, then you really don't have much to worry about. The problem is figuring out exactly what it means to seek "first" the kingdom. I used to think this meant that you had to be a missionary or a Nun or something similar.

But Paul lists a lot of different callings. And he might not have put everything possible in that list. So there could be many things a person is called to do. Doing your best and being willing to do whatever God wants...I think that is the point.

Not worrying though...that is indeed hard. I catch myself worrying and sometimes can't seem to stop no matter how stupid I know it is. I guess that is something that takes practice too. I'm working on it. How about you? Do you worry? How do you stop?