Walls Are Good

Master Suite

Master Bath & Closet

Master Bedroom

We are getting some walls up. The master suite has walls for the bedroom, bath and closet. I am excited to see this. Bob and I worked on the long wall for the master bedroom yesterday and a little today. It is great to see walls and begin to understand what it might feel like when it is finished. Bob still has some blocking and little things to finish on the latest wall but just seeing something makes me happy.

It was hard for us to have someone else build these walls partially because of the cost but mostly because we were unsure exactly where things would go. Once we got fairly sure of our plan for the master suite the walls began to take shape. There is a long way to go but at least it is progressing and starting to look like something other than a big concrete floor shell of a building. Like always Bob has been able to figure out unique ways to erect walls without outside help. I am always amazed at his ingenuity. I love that about him.

It is good to have some walls up and define spaces. Designating areas where certain things will happen gives some consistency and comfort to a home. I like consistency because it helps me to stay on track with life in general. The comfort comes from being able to know that when I come home I will find things organized and in the right places, easy to find and use. Those are some of the things that give me peace of mind, so seeing my house begin to take shape and be defined helps relieve some of the house building stress.

I also like knowing that in my spiritual life I can always count on God to be there. No matter what happens He is always ready to listen and direct my steps. I just have to listen to Him and follow His directions and my path will be straight.

I hope that all the fathers out there enjoy this day and have the chance to celebrate with family. Enjoy your week and I will be back with more.

Rain Delay

Bob and I spent the Thursday night through Sunday morning with my sister. On Saturday my sister and I watched a homecoming parade online because she is recovering from foot surgery and the weather forecast was for rain and 40 degree temperatures. The rain for the parade was mostly drizzles. We were supposed to be able to watch my granddaughter march with the band but her school did not participate due to the threat of rain. So we worked a way to view the live stream on my sister’s TV. Then that evening the homecoming game was played with even more rain. It made for a slippery game, but our team won so it was great. Earlier in the afternoon we had watched parts of some other games and one was delayed because of rain and lightning, for the safety of the players.

Well, at home we had around 5 inches of rain since it started earlier in the week. Just like the football game that was delayed because of lightning, we find ourselves in a rain delay. We cannot pour concrete when there is standing water and wet ground. If we did pour now we could have a problem down the road with a sinking foundation, so we are on hold until the conditions make it safer to pour with good results.

We know that God knows what is best, but sometimes we struggle to figure it out in our minds. In this time of rain delay all I can really do is trust God and believe that he will direct our steps in this project. Praying, listening and obeying seem to be the best answer to any struggle. We make it through every struggle the same way by trusting and obeying.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB

I pray that you will make your way through all of your struggles and join me in praying, trusting and obeying what we hear. Enjoy your week and I will be back with more.

Rain, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Snow or Fog

The weather has been a little challenging lately. We had some rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow over the course of the last two weeks. I had my first experience at working from home. I really loved the fact that I did not have to get out in the slick stuff, but I don’t think I want to make a career out of doing my job from home. There are too many distractions in my little house. Luckily I was pretty busy with work things for most of the time I worked from home. It made the time go by faster, but looking out the window at the birds and deer outside made me want to go outside and I could not do that. This past week I was able to go back to the office, it seems to be easier to focus at the office than at home.

On Thursday this week we had very heavy fog that lasted until around 10 am. Driving to work in the dark was a real challenge. I have never driven through that thick of fog before. I took it really slow making my way to the highway, but right toward the end of the road before the highway the fog was so thick it scared me to figure out how to get on the highway. Car headlights were very dim and could only be seen when they were fairly close. When I made it onto the highway the cars in front of me disappeared, their tail lights vanished into the fog. It was rough for a while and then the sun started rising in the distance and it looked like the moon usually does, just a white disc in the sky. With it’s light I could see a little more of the traffic. I was very happy to make it to work.

Friday morning there was no fog and I was ever so grateful for the visibility. It made me realize how much I took clear days for granted. The drive was normal and all the cars were easy to see. We had some fun looking at snow flurries through the morning and early afternoon. Sometimes our lives can get messy with a fogged up mind and weather-like obstacles in our paths making it dangerous to walk the walk. These weeks have shown me to appreciate the moments when life is clear and the storms have lifted and I can see what is ahead. It usually takes stepping back out of the fog and out of the storm to be able to have a clear mind and get refreshed.

I find the Word of God can renew my mind and soul and help me realize what is important and what is fog. Life always goes on, the real challenge is how we deal with it as it goes. Do we know when to stay at home because of the danger outside and when to step out into the storm and continue to move? Do we know how to navigate the foggy times and bring clarity? In my life there is only one way to do all this and that is with God’s help and direction. He will lead if we will follow. He will direct if we will move. He always loves and cares for us.

Just like a baby trusting their mother to take care of them, we should trust God’s direction. I hope that when you feel yourself in the fog or in the storm that you are able to stop and listen to His direction and find your way to where you need to be. Enjoy your week and I will be back with more.

You Can’t but We Can

As I lay in bed one night I thought about all the things that I cannot do. It did not matter whether the reason I could not do it was strength, endurance or just plain not understanding how to do it. I was stuck in the mode of I can’t. Sometimes the reason we cannot do something is because what we are trying to do is not in our realm of doing but is up to others. We can only knock on the door, ask the question and hope for the answer. Finding a job is a good example.

But then there are the things that need to be done around our homestead that I cannot do at the moment. Some of those things I lack the physical strength and/or the know-how to complete. As I laid in bed adding up the things I cannot do and getting more frustrated by the moment, I began to pray. After a while I heard that small still voice tell me, “You can’t but We can.” That is when I realized I was doing things with my own strength and my own understanding, which was causing me to get but frustrated. It stopped and reminded me that doing things with God would get me where I need to go.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13 NKJV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Scripture is a great reminder that we cannot do anything without God. Sometimes inspiration also comes from other sources also. I was standing in our kitchen prepping food for the week listening to some older country music and a song just really spoke to me. It is called “There’s No Way” written by John Jarrard, Will Robinson, Lisa Palas and recorded by Alabama. Some of the lyrics are so appropriate to a beautiful relationship with our heavenly Father. I am going to change one word and show you how it struck me at that moment.

There’s no way I can make it without you
There’s no way that I’d even try
If I had to survive without you in my life
I know I wouldn’t last a day
Oh, babe God, there’s no way

I never knew until you
What I was missing
Now you say “Forever”
I find my heart, it’s listening
Yes, I’m listening

There’s No Way, by John Jarrard, Will Robinson, Lisa Palas

I believe this to be true. This song was written as a love song between humans, but I can see these verses as an eternal love song to God. I am always amazed at the different ways God speaks to me. Sometimes it is in nature, sometimes through song, sometimes though people, sometimes through the Bible, the possibilities are endless. If we open our ears and eyes we will see and hear what He is saying. I hope that you will take time to stop and pray and watch how God opens your understanding. I will leave you with a prayer. Enjoy your week and I will be back with more.

…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 1:17-23 NKJV

Problem Solver

I spend at least five days a week solving problems. Sometimes the problems require a lot of research to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. And when I am not sure how to solve the problem and I ask for help to figure it out. It usually helps to have someone else to bounce the problem off of to find a good solution. Most problems and/or mistakes are fixable, but sometimes the fix is difficult to figure out and messy to complete.

In everyday life I find myself asking for help from others to see something I have missed or am otherwise unaware of that can help solve the problem which I am pondering. Often I will stop and say a prayer to help calm my mind and relax a bit in order to figure it out. You see God knows that we all make mistakes and missteps and He is always there to listen to our cries for help. Now whether the problem I am solving is from a mistake or a glitch in a process, or something that is no longer viable in its current state, doesn’t matter, what matters is that a solution is found to make the future move more smoothly.

With any problem, big or small, I have found that spending time to say a short prayer for help has always made my problem solving better. Do I always get immediate results? No. A good example of that is with our property in the country. We have been trying to figure out where on the property to live and what to do with the dilapidated house that is there. After years of working on it we have finally figured it out and are moving forward. This problem has taken years to solve, but I believe it to be solved now and we are moving forward with a plan. Sometimes the solution will not come to me until the timing is right and a different perspective is seen. And that truly what has happened with this problem.

I truly believe this to be God’s providence. I believe that God guides those who love Him and follow His ways. I feel much comfort in knowing that there is Someone who sees all and knows all who can guide me.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;

I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

Psalm 32:8 NASB

Solving problems is part of the human process of growing and learning. I am sure that each and everyone of you have had problems to solve, big and little. Please remember that God is there with you through the big and little problems you have to solve and He can guide and direct you through those tough times. I know He has done it for me and my family and He can for you too, if you trust Him. Solving problems in this life prepares us for our eternity with God in the next life, so let’s take the challenges that come our way and use them to become a better follower of Christ. I hope you enjoy your week and I will be back next week with more.

Steps to Peace

So our experimental garden is not doing so well. We managed to get a small squash out of it this week. I believe that part of the problem is the compost used as a base. Our past experience from compost out of our compost pile was that it was very fertile and anything would grow in it. However, what we purchased from a local company is not the same. We struggled to get seeds to grow and the PH is off. Despite all our efforts to raise the PH nothing has worked. I guess this is a disappointing lesson learned. Time will tell what will survive and what will just die off and not produce.

Our souls are like the soil of our lives. If the soil is good then many good things can prosper, but just as easily the weeds can also grow. In our garden certain weeds are doing quite well, but they are not the plants that produce the food that we were hoping to have. We planted the seeds we wanted to grow but they are apparently not in the right type of soil to prosper. Our words can be seeds that bring life or seeds of destruction.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit

Proverbs 18:21 NIV

I wish I would always remember that every word I speak has the power of life or death. When I get wrapped up in my moments of frustration of things not going right I may speak words to myself and others that do not bring life to my situation. I think we all find ourselves in these circumstances and the real challenge is to not get to that point of frustration. I need to listen to the early signs that things feeling out of control and take a step or two back to gather my wits before I make things worse. God is so awesome He just gave me a list of what I can do.

• Stop, breathe, and pray at the first sign of feeling overwhelmed
• Quote some scriptures that will help me feel confident that I can finish
  • Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
  • Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight
• Make a list of everything causing the feeling
• Prioritize all the items on the list for importance and relevance
• Tackle the list one item at a time and mark them off as they are completed
• Continue to add to the list as needed and mark them off as they are finished to show yourself they were accomplished

This list can be used at work or even for items that are just bothering a person. If we look at the importance of what we are thinking about and whether we can do anything about it, we can relieve ourselves of stress and pressure from the item, because some things are not even ours to have. This scripture says it all.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10 NIV

I hope that this will help you as much as it helps me. Enjoy your week and I will be back next week with more.

Worry, Trust and God

These past three weeks have been a bit of a blur to me. Since I last wrote a blog I have been working through many things, including the loss of a sister-in-law. Though funeral services are usually very somber and sad events this one turned out to be a real celebration of her life. This service was unlike any I have ever attended. It is great to think that the short time we are on this earth can be remembered by our family and friends by looking back at all the good times, sharing stories and remembering what we loved about the person.

Of course since we are still in the midst of a pandemic, a lot of the attendees were virtual on a zoom call, but a limited number of us were able to attend in person. Imagine a service being held at a nature center in the midst of a place that was enjoyed regularly by my sister in law and her dogs. What an appropriate place to celebrate Lawana’s life on this earth. She will be missed by many because she was loved by many.

In the face of a death of someone younger than me, I begin to think more about what is important and what I want to change about my life to get the most out of this life before I go on to heaven. This life is temporary and sometimes way to short to waste time planning and working on things that don’t matter. I am still sorting through these thoughts but maybe that is something I should think about more often and not wait until a big event happens.

It also makes me think that some people are good at planning for the future in this life but the problem is that sometimes those plans are wiped out in an instant. When that happens we have to have something to fall back on. My back up plan for everything is God. I believe that God will get me through anything in this life. The real challenge is to not worry and trust God for help.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34 NIV

Worry tends to confuse our lives and add unnecessary stress on top of any stress we already experience daily. Worry is easy to engage when it feels like our plans have been destroyed. But every time this happens, after I stop and contemplate the situation, I find myself looking toward one scripture that keeps me going.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Trust is always the answer to worry. Putting our trust in God can give us the confidence to walk through any challenge of this life that causes stress. I pray that all of my readers are healthy and happy today, but if you are worrying about something that you can’t change, then try to spend some time in the Word and in prayer to get some answers. No matter how difficult this life gets there is always a way to get through it.

‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

Jeremiah 33:3 NIV

Enjoy your week and I will be back next week with more.

Thankful for God

¹⁴ “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:14-15 NIV

²⁰ If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”

Joshua 24:20 NIV

But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord… I love that statement and I believe it. No matter what happens in this world if I can keep my eyes on and trust in God everything will work out. Through all trials and tribulations God will be there. Through fire, flood, war, plague and whatever else happens, serving God is what matters.

2020 has been a year to remember, though I believe most of us want to forget it. It has also been a year where many people have gotten a heightened awareness of God and His love. And for that I am very thankful. The Israelite nation had been through 40 years in the desert and before that had experienced the deliverance from Egypt. But they had to make a decision if they were going to follow God while they entered the promised land.

It seems that when things settle down a bit people forget who got them through the storm. Let’s always remember that it is God’s grace and mercy that gets us through. We may be in for more rough times but with God we will be able to make it through if we faithfully follow Him.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

I pray that you will enjoy this month remembering and being thankful for what God has given us and what He has gotten us through so far. Remember that He is in control, for that I am grateful.

Getting Away

Will getting away change anything? As the corona virus continues to spread at a record pace it seems that everyone’s nerves are on edge. These are trying times and in trying times are when we are tested to our limits.

Getting away from it all even for a few minutes won’t change the situation but it could change how we react when things happen. Now maybe you can’t physically get away right now and that is understandable. But you could find a place in your home or wherever you are and close you eyes and clear you mind.

If you can listen to some calming music to help clear you mind. Then once your mind is clear of the clutter begin to recite this scripture to yourself paying attention to each word.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Once you have a grasp on how trusting God can help you through, pray for help to get through this. God answers those prayers. In fact in His word you can see one of the prayers and the corresponding answers.

¹ Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
    for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
    until the disaster has passed.

² I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.
³ He sends from heaven and saves me,
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—
    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

Psalm 57:1-3 NIV

I don’t have the answers to the problems of the world today but I do know the One who does. Let’s try to make sure we are not ignoring God and instead taking more time to seek His face and His favor in the year 2020, which will go down in history as a monumental year.

Remember God is in control even when the world is out of control. Lets all do what we need to do to keep ourselves from harm the best we can, by wearing masks, washing our hands and staying a safe distance from each other and then trust that God will take care of the rest. I will be back next week with more.

Path

Laying in my bed unable to sleep Thursday night, I began to think about my favorite scripture. Suddenly it hit me that the verse is not talking about God showing me the path, but about God removing obstacles from the path that I am on. I took my phone and looked it up in several versions. The Amplified version was what I needed to read.

⁵ Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
⁶ In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]. (Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP)

This version expanded the scripture to exactly what I thought. All the time I have been reading and rehearsing this scripture I have believed that God would put me on the right path, but now I believe that the path choice is mine and if I trust in Him, He will remove obstacles from my path. My path is based on my belief system and my choice to follow God with all my heart. Once that is set then the path in front of me will be open and free for me to follow. I can’t allow distractions to stop me.

I think of Peter getting out of the boat and Jesus told him to come. He stepped out of the boat and did ok until he let the storm raging around him distract him. Then he began to fear the distraction which caused him to sink until Jesus took his hand and saved him from the storm. (You can find this story in Matthew 14:28-33)

I honestly believe that we need to put on blinders and follow what God has put into our hearts without allowing the distractions of negative thoughts to overtake us. We truly have to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, despite the what if’s that come to mind.

So this becomes a challenge for the days and years to come. Would you join me in putting on blinders to those things that stop what you know you should be doing? It will be a true challenge, but I am going to do my best will you?

Enjoy your week and I will be back next week with more.