Fry Now...Pay Later

'Sun' and 'damage.' Two words that I don't normally think of in the same sentence. After all, I love being outside on bright sunny days. And doesn't a tan look healthy? Damage from the effects of the sun on my skin is the farthest thing from my mind. But a trip to the dermatologist put some things into perspective for me.

A mole that I've had for years was the subject in question. The dermatologist referred to it as 'atypical.' That didn't sound too good! I was reminded of all the times I had been out in the sun, sans sunscreen - from my teenage years into my twenties. Okay, I have to admit that even as recently as this summer, I've worked out in the yard minus the sunscreen, a time or two.

I think back to my high school days, when I spent hours in the sun before heading off to work. I can still see my Dad shaking his head and hear him saying, "You're doing it to your skin again!" But at seventeen, with not a wrinkle in sight, all I was interested in was a deep, dark tan. I was willing to ignore the posters that warned, "Fry now...pay later!"

Looking back, I would have been wise to heed his words of wisdom. Properly applying sunscreen and limiting my exposure to the sun would have minimized the pigment spots, moles, and fine lines and wrinkles. But instead of listening to his advice, I chose to do things my way - learning by experience.

We really DO learn by one method or the other. Either we listen to wise advise and act on it. Or we choose to ignore counsel and attend the School of Hard Knocks. I'm reminded of the instructions God gave the children of Israel.

He had reviewed the commandments with them and proceeded to give them a list of all the blessings they'd receive IF they obeyed His directions. Then He outlined an ominous list of curses that would plague them if they chose to disobey. Much the same thing we do with our own children. Outlining the good that comes from obedience, and the consequences that result from disobedience.

I'm sure you're familiar with the story of the Israelites. At times they obeyed God whole-heartedly - for awhile. But by and large, they drifted back to their sinful ways or those of the surrounding cultures. Before I simply write them off as a stubborn and rebellious lot, I need to take a look at my own life.

Do I have a teachable spirit? Am I willing to take God at His word and believe Him? Do I believe His Word is the truth? If the answer is 'Yes' to each of these questions, then I need to live like it. I need to give God top priority in my life. I'm to, "...love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might," (Deuteronomy 6:5; KJV). When I obey, His blessings follow. When I put myself first, I follow in the footsteps of the prideful and end up in a mess. "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall," (Proverbs 16:18).

God created me with free will. I can choose my method of learning. The Bible is filled with wisdom and the right way to handle all kinds of situations. Will I choose to believe the truth of God's Word and live according to it, or will I go my own way, and ignore instruction? Today I choose to listen to God's instruction.

Do you listen to godly counsel or have to learn things the hard way? Accept counsel from the Word of God, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you, " (James 4:7-8a).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your instruction manual, the Bible. Forgive me for the times that I'm stubborn and go my own way in spite of being warned. Help me to have a teachable spirit and to be willing to learn from godly counsel. In Jesus' name, Amen. 


*A repost from June 2011.

*I'm hosting over at Living by Grace today. Come join in the discussion!

Prepare for Growth

The sultry days of summer loom ahead, full of promise and potential. For our yard, this means a number of things. The work of planting is done. Time to make the transition to fertilizing what has been planted.

Beautiful fuchsia and white flowers have graced our azaleas and camellias this year, their nearly perfect blooms reminding us that it is time for their June feeding. To ensure hearty annuals, we apply fertilizer monthly during their growing season. Our perennials follow a different schedule, requiring us to apply fertilizer only once during the summer. Although the needs of each plant-type vary somewhat, each is in need of fertilizer which provides necessary nutrients so each plant can make its own food through photosynthesis.

Surprisingly, we're very similar to these plants. Following salvation, each of us is in need of 'fertilizer' in order to guarantee our proper growth. God gives us the Bible as a guide book to provide the 'nutrients' we need in order to make good life choices.  The Apostle Paul encourages us, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV). 

Just as plants have unique requirements, the Lord knows our needs may differ from the needs of others. This poses no obstacle for our Creator. His word is able to meet every need, and He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

As we allow Christ to fertilize our heart's soil, we will become more and more like the tree described by the prophet Jeremiah, "For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit" (Jeremiah 17:8).

As you care for your garden this summer, choose to allow the Master Gardener to have access to the soil of your heart. Submitting to His will and way will yield fruit beyond compare!

Dogs, Snakes, & People, Oh My!

We've seen a lot of them this year. According to reports, warmer than normal winter temperatures and an increase in the number of rodents have led to an explosion in the snake population. Unfortunately, my husband, Steve, and I can attest to the fact. The snakes we're seeing? Copperheads.

Don't get me wrong, I have a healthy respect for the role snakes play in the environment - the copperhead eats small rodents, birds, lizards, other snakes, amphibians, and insects. The problem? When it comes to our dogs, up close and personal is a bit too, well, up close and personal!


Our Golden Retriever, Precious, had to learn the hard way that not all animals want to be her friend. As Steve and I headed out to walk our dogs, we could tell something was wrong with Precious. Although her tail wagged furiously as she came out of her doghouse, she didn't look right. Her slim retriever face had been replaced by that of a Shar Pei. With neck and face swollen twice their normal size, we loaded her into our SUV and headed for the vet.


Two tell-tale punctures above her lip, dotted with blood, spoke volumes. She had been bitten by a copperhead - the venom  causing the distortions to face and neck. A shot of steroids helped to bring the swelling down. Armed with antihistamine and antibiotics, the vet assured us that she would look like our familiar Golden within 48 hours. What a relief!


But we still had a problem. A snake problem. Where had the copperhead come from? And if there was one, there were probably more. Not a comforting thought.


We began the eradication process. Steve mowed over the ivy that had slowly begun creeping across Precious' area, and cleaned up the tree debris that doubled as a potential snake hideout. We were feeling much better already. But our relief was short-lived.


Over the next six weeks, Steve and I killed three copperheads  - each one within a stones' throw of our dogs. Unlike what I had read about these snakes, these copperheads seemed to be extremely bold. Instead of staying hidden during the day and relying on camouflage for safety, these slithering creatures were in plain sight on our walking path.


Obviously we needed to dedicate more time to yard clean-up. Woodpiles, leaf debris, and branches would all have to go. One step at a time.


What an important lesson for me. Without realizing it, I often leave myself vulnerable to the enemy. I allow sin to go unconfessed in my life - and pretty soon I've got piles of debris in my heart that become a breeding ground for more sin. If I refuse to begin the eradication process, the bite of sin will inject its venom - marring my testimony as a follower of Christ. The consequences are devastating - a broken relationship with the Lord, and the potential to cause others to stumble.


No one wrote more poignantly about the consequences of sin than King David. He accurately described the affect of concealing, then confessing his sin, "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah," (Psalms 32:3-5; KJV).


Confession of sin invites forgiveness from the Lord. A clean heart re-institutes intimate fellowship with our Savior. What could be better?!


Do you have some internal housekeeping to do? Are there any piles of debris in your heart that need to be removed? What step will you take today to rid yourself of sin?


Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for the lessons I can learn from Your creation. Help me to willingly eradicate sin from my life, so I can have a right relationship with You. In Jesus' name, Amen.



*I'm hosting over at Living by Grace today. Come join in the discussion!

How to be Worry-Free

I know it doesn’t change a situation. It can even create some pretty serious problems. I’m talking about worrying. I don’t have to take a class to be an accomplished worrier – it’s something that comes naturally. The enemy knows exactly what buttons to push to send me off into ‘what-if’ mode.

Seems I’m not the only one with the propensity to worry. The children of Israel could worry with the best of them. Remember their exit out of Egypt? The final plague had Pharaoh practically begging the Israelites to leave his land. They were free at last – 430 long years of slavery had come to an end.

I can imagine how ecstatic the people must have been. But their joy didn’t last long. In fact, it ground to a halt and quickly turned into worry when the Israelites realized Pharaoh and his army were in hot pursuit of them. They were afraid. They cried out to the Lord and turned on Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness…it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness,” (Exodus 14:11,12b; KJV).

But Moses shared a message from the Lord – a message of faith that could overcome even the greatest fear. “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace,” (Exodus 14: 13-14).

The people had a choice to make. Would they choose fear or faith? The Lord was on their side, and as Moses stretched his hand out over the Red Sea, the children of Israel witnessed a miracle. An east wind caused the waters of the sea to be parted so they could walk through on dry ground!

As Pharaoh and his army attempted to follow them into the sea, God caused their chariots to get stuck in the sand. Mass chaos followed as Moses once again stretched his hand out over the Red Sea and the water came crashing down over the Israelites’ enemies. Not a single one remained.

Giving in to fear hadn’t changed their situation. Putting their faith in an almighty God had! Over and over again, the children of Israel were reminded that worrying didn’t accomplish anything. Their God would provide for them.

The same is true in my life. Why worry when I have God’s recipe for peace, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 4:6-7). Instead of focusing on my problems, I can focus on my great God who is able to overcome any hardship I’m facing.

What about you? Are you a worrier? What step will you take today to replace your fear with faith in a great God?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for reminding me that worrying is sin. Help me remember the example of the children of Israel – and choose faith over fear. Thank You for being greater than any problem I face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.   

Time: Something to be Treasured

Summer's here! Kids are out of school and neighborhood pools are open. Temperatures are climbing and thoughts are turning to up-coming vacations. It's easy to shift into neutral and coast through the lazy days of this season. But time is a precious commodity no matter what season of the year!

When I think of stewardship, I often limit my thoughts to finances. The truth is, I'm just as accountable for my use of time as I am for my money. All of us have been given 24 hours in a day. It's up to us to be wise stewards of this all-important resource. Moses, the leader of the Israelites, shares some sound advice, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom," (Psalm 90:12; KJV).

So how do you spend your time? We all make time for what's important to us. What are your priorities? Do you balance your day to include time for the following: your walk with God, your family, work, and relaxation? Or do you rush about throughout the day, concentrating on the urgent, but never getting to the essential?

God's Word gives the proper perspective, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil," (Ephesians 5:15-16). Applying wisdom from God's Word allows us to make the very best use of our time.

Staying connected to the Lord is the key. Jesus spells it out for us, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing," (John 15:4-5).

By putting God first and spending time with Him daily, He will give you the wisdom and ability to manage the remainder of your time. You'll discover time for relationships, tasks, and yes, even for fun! How will you use your time today?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of time. Help me to be a wise steward of it. I choose to put You first in my life so You can guide me in the best use of the time You've given. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

*I'm hosting over at Living by Grace today. Come join in the discussion!

Thankful Thursday & The Winner Is...

Recently, I've been encouraged by websites that take time to recount the blessings of the Lord. So I've decided to make today - Thankful Thursday.

Take a few moments to read the following passage from Ephesians:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace," (Ephesians 1:3-7; KJV).

Wow! If you're a child of the King, these verses spell out at least 6 reasons to be thankful. Can you find them?

*I'm blessed (v. 3)

*I'm chosen (v. 4)

*I'm adopted (v. 5)

*I'm accepted (v. 6)

*I'm redeemed (v. 7)

*I'm forgiven (v. 7)

Some other things I'm thankful for this week:

*a fantastic family

*good health

*summertime

*wonderful friends

*the opportunity to write and share the truths of God's Word

Now it's your turn to join in! What are you thankful for this week?

And if you've been waiting on the edge of your seat to learn who the winner of last week's giveaway is...may I have a drum roll please?! A BIG congratulations goes out to: Karen Lange!! She is the winner of a signed copy of The Art of Norma Boeckler! Way to go Karen! And a special thank you to all who participated in the drawing! Have a beautiful week and God bless!

Dinner's Ready!

They returned today. Birds of all varieties filled the trees, each waiting for its turn at the feeder.  Beautiful birds. Colorful birds. Downy woodpeckers, cardinals and chickadees. Our feeder has remained empty for quite some time. Once filled, it took our bird-friends a few days to realize they could feast in our neck of the woods once again. The promise of nourishing seed awaits each bird that chooses to eat.

Our feeder, chock-full of tasty seed, reminds me of God’s Word, ready to provide sustenance to all who will come and partake. Jesus invites us, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35; KJV). His ‘feast’ will truly bring nourishment and satisfaction to our souls.

Even as our feathered friends have access to our feeder day and night, we also have access to our Heavenly Father anytime. We have a standing invitation from our Savior to come boldly to His throne of grace, “…that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Unlike businesses that maintain set hours, the Bible shares numerous accounts of those who cried out to God ‘after hours.’ “Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord:” (Lamentations 2:19). The prophet, Isaiah, sought God at both ends of the spectrum. “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early:” (Isaiah 26:9).

What do you stand in need of today? Hope, encouragement, direction? Do you hear Him calling your name? Pull up a chair at God’s ‘table’ and let His Word rejuvenate your soul! You won’t go hungry!

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalm 34:8).

*A re-post from 2/2010.

*I'm hosting over at Living by Grace today. Come join in the discussion!