“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” Robert Heinlein
The Barrel Angels are sturdy, built strong to carry important contents.
Barrels are history’s plastic bag. For centuries people stored important goods in barrels. They have stored gunpowder, meat, fish, paint, honey, nails and whale oil, to mention just a few items. The Egyptians used them. The Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings used them. Europeans and early Americans used them. In fact, they are still used for wine, whisky, sherry, olives Balsamic vinegar and Tabasco sauce!
Barrels hold important, and often, precious commodities.
The Barrel Angels, holding precious gifts from God, are no different!
This Barrel Angel is called “Love” because she holds God’s Love for us. This makes her a special gift for anyone in your life, including yourself. She will remind you just how deeply LOVED you are. Just like flowers in a garden, love grows! The more you know and experience love, the deeper it grows. The pretty colors and cascade of flowers encourage us to keep on growing in learning to love God’s way.
There are several kinds of love:
There’s “social media love”- OH! I just LOVE this new pair of shoes!
There’s “married love”- growing, stick-to-it-through-thick-and-thin love mixed in with sexual love.
There’s “brotherly love”- love for family and friends.
And then there’s God’s love- the type of love to which we attain in all our relationships. The kind of Love God loves us with- unconditional and endless. God loves because He is love and therefore cannot help but love all of His creation- all people.
There’s a place for each kind of Love.
The Love this Barrel Angel contains is truly heavenly.
It’s a Love that is patient and always kind. It does not envy or boast. And it is not proud or arrogant or rude.
It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking nor does it insist on it’s own way.
This Love is not easily angered. It does not keep any record of wrongs. It is not resentful.
Love does not delight in wrong-doing but rejoices with the truth and honesty.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
(Based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)
God’s Love is a stretch for most of us but God is faithful to help us when we desire to grow in Love.
And when we feel like there’s no one on earth who can love US so perfectly (because truly it doesn’t come easily to us humans), she will remind us that Father God loves us exactly this way!
Remember, “… Let all that you do be done with love.” ! Corinthians 16:13b
I have a variety of Barrel Angels on my website, as well as a longer description of barrels in general. I hope you’ll go check take a look and read all about them!
Beginnings are almost always encouraging… the new possibilities, putting the past behind us, another chance to succeed! As much as I love to start at the beginning, beginning in the middle is delightfully counterintuitive and dances around in your mind. Starting at the beginning is a blank page, a white canvas. But beginning in the middle gives us marks on the pages of this week and color splashes on that white canvas Monday gave us. We get a chance to refine those marks and accentuate the splashes!
So, Happy New Month on this plain old, middle of the week Wednesday!
Before I move forward, I’ve found it’s a good idea to take a glance back and make sure I gather the lessons the past has given me. I mean, I don’t want to suffer a hard time without wrestling something of value from it. Why accept only the scars, when I can gain wisdom, knowledge and/or understanding that will help me in the future? And conversely, why leave joy and goodness behind when I can tuck it into my heart to grow and bring more joy in the future?
Looking back for a moment before moving ahead can bring a clarity and perspective we often miss in the moment. It can give us a fresh look at a feeling that might turn out differently than when first felt it. They say that hindsight is 20/20, but unless you bring the Holy Spirit into your look-back, unless you allow God to give you His perspective, we can still be deceived by our own feeling. Seeing the event more clearly also enables us to release it and let it go.
Quick Look back at January…
For me, January did not go according to plan! As much as I love a new beginning, it can be discouraging when the new beginning gets side-tracked almost before it begins. I’ve chosen not to be discouraged.
How did January work out for you? Did you make goals and start working them hard? Did you go slow, resting and prayerfully seeking the intentions you want to live by this year?
January began nice enough- with a special worship service, our volunteer “job” and dinner with friends. We planned to put the Christmas decorations away that next weekend.
Partly because that was my plan but mostly because I got sick, I spent a big chunk of the month resting. I haven’t been sick in YEARS, literally. Being a not-very-good-patient, made it challenging. Thankfully, I wasn’t terribly sick. And, thankfully, I was well cared for. I took my supplements and a couple of meds and tried to stay hydrated. And rested.
I did color the cute color-it-yourself card my sweet sister sent, but it took me 4 days.
I thought I’d do some writing but only scribbled 5 small pages and most of that was quotes. Sadly, my journal has been lonely so far this year.
I prayed… for myself, for family, for those I may have exposed to germs, for world peace and healing.
I scrolled… the Bible, a book, social media, Reels (cat videos are the best!)
I watched… the clouds, the rain, the sun march across my window, the moon peek through my blinds at night letting me know I wasn’t alone, Hallmark (where everything is beautiful and always turns out just right), You Tube.
I saw… a HAWK sitting in the Cherry tree in my neighbor’s yard. What a treat! I could hardly believe my eyes, he sat there for the longest time, just looking around. He flew off and, amazingly, came back for another short visit! (Photo taken through a rainy window.)
I listened… to music, to the cat meowing at the door, to the washer and dryer’s droning, to the silence.
I worried I wouldn’t have enough time to help with Angela’s Baby Shower. But thankfully, I did have time and the Shower was a great success.
Yesterday, the last day of January, we finally got all the Christmas decorations put away! We’ve never waited that late but that’s ok. (Angela says it’s ok as long as you put Christmas away before Easter!)
Although not my idea of the way this year would start but I’ve chosen to declare it’s a good start. I realize I can fight an illness. I can ask for help and do something important to me in small chunks. I also realized I don’t have to accomplish anything but REST, which is an accomplishment in itself.
“All’s well that ends well”, they say, and the month has ended well, thank God for His grace!
Although this year didn’t begin “according to plan”, I believe it’s going to be a year of breakthrough, of seas parted and water turned to wine. Just because I don’t have my word-of-the-year or intention yet, doesn’t mean I won’t have one soon.
My sister and I love the saying, “it’s never too late to start the day over” and that applies to the year as well! February is a perfectly good month to begin a new year. In fact, it’s especially good because it the “month of Love” and we’ll have a new grand-baby! Beautiful blessings!
Please tell me how your year has begun…. Are you rocking all your “resolutions”? Or- Are you embracing this season of quiet and rest? Was January all you hoped it would be or are you looking for better things to come?
It’s never too late to start the day- or year!- over again!
Beach at the End of August, multi-media painting on watercolor paper, 6×6″. Painting and photo by me, Sandy Burch
#August Imagination Challenge
The last day of August! We’ve made it through the hottest of the summer months. September whispers hints of coming cooler temps.
Above is my final week’s creation from the August Imagination Vacation- I “went” to the beach for some relaxation time.
As it happens, my creation, easily identified as a beach scene, is also kind of abstract. It’s different because it has odd pieces of torn paper placed throughout the painting. I also experimented with some new-to-me techniques.
I like it. It is representative of our month in it’s unusual elements. Usually, looking back at August feels like a vague memory- it was hot, we stayed cool, we are oh-so grateful for AC and good riddance! However August, 2022, felt more productive, more real somehow. It was sad because of the loss of our friend, Hoyt. It was joyful, because of all the people we reconnected with at the memorial service for him. Such a range of joy and sorrow, of real memories and playful imaginings.
I’m always happy to see September. It brings hope that the hot blanket of humidity will soon lift, bringing cooler weather. It’s the only month when pumpkin spice is readily available- and I DO love pumpkin spice! To me September brings a refreshing, a new beginning, a special promise of the coming Autumn, my favorite season.
All those September things are still true but this year, I’m leaving August will a little sadness, a feeling that I’ll miss it.
There’s no denying that the shocking loss of our friend colored the end of the month in sadness. But I believe having my Imagination Challenge gave me an overall different perspective, possibly even in the loss (which is very real). I’m pretty sure I won’t see August quite the same way again.
So tell me, did you do any imaginary travels? Are you glad or sad to see August go? Was it a good month for you?
Multi-media on watercolor paper. Painting and photo by me, Sandy Burch, c 2022
I paused my August Imagination Challenge a couple of weeks ago, so, even though this is the 30th of the month, this creation is for Week 3.
I wanted to “go” to a city, thinking maybe I’d head to the Big Apple or Atlanta. But even in my imagination, that just felt like too much. Isn’t it strange that your imagination can get overwhelmed just as if you are actually “there”, wherever that may be!
Instead of a big city, I decided to “go” to Charleston SC. It’s a pretty city with all kinds of good food, shopping, concerts, plays, sightseeing and even water excursions! Now, we all know one would never really visit Charleston in August! It’s just too hot and too humid- “miserable” comes to mind. But that’s the great thing about imaginary travel! I can pretend the weather is perfectly lovely. So it was- perfect!
This is a multi media creation on watercolor paper, 6″x6″.
Charleston is a really lovely city and generally pedestrian friendly, making it pleasant to walk from place to place. There are nice hotels, great galleries, lots of amazing food. It’s a place where one might wear a cute sundress and pretty sandals for shopping and lunch with friends. And of course we have friends there, it’s all in our imagination!
In the evening, put on your fancy gown and head to a concert, followed by a late dinner overlooking the river!
The next day, you can do a sightseeing tour either by boat or mule drawn carriage and then have tea on the veranda when the shadows lengthen. There are many ways to spend time in Charleston. I’ve been there and would love to return sometime- for real, not just in my imagination.
There’s nothing like a pretty Southern city for a variety of activities at a genteel pace.
I enjoyed my imaginary stay in Charleston. I feel pampered, relaxed and invigorated!
Tomorrow I’ll post the final week of the Challenge.
Can you guess where I “went” this past week?
Here’s a hint… Charleston is a good jumping off point.
Hoyt Stewart, about 6 years ago at a celebration- thus the crazy hat.Sorry, it’s not the best pic.
When you get to Thursday and it’s been a good week, but then that same good week hits you with a sucker punch out of nowhere….
You stop, try to make sense of what hit you.
And you slide your imagination vacation challenge a few more days out because your mind begins to fill up with so many memories, there’s no room for imaginings.
Thursday was a great day until it suddenly became the worst day we’ve had in a long time.
Just before dinner we received word that our dear friend died. To say “He was a brother in Christ” is flippant. He was our brother. We have walked together through many joys and sorrows over the years. We were siblings as if we all shared the same parents.
This is his picture, taken at a celebration about 6 years ago, thus the silly hat.
We had just had lunch with him and his wife on Tuesday.
That Thursday, just a few hours before the dreadful call, he texted me that the procedure SHE had revealed everything was A-OK. He was celebrating!
The news….a complete and absolute shock. It is still hard to believe.
Our friend loved Jesus and wanted nothing more than for everyone to know how much they are loved by Him. He cherished his family and would do anything for any of them. And he had a FAMILY! Children, step-children, grandchildren, step-grandchildren… lots of them. And he loved each and every one of them. He leaves a large legacy of love.
He was not always so obviously loving, however. He was, shall we say, less than patient with things that were obvious to him. He was very intelligent, and he was gifted mechanically as well. He could and did solve a large and varied number of problems that would have stumped most people. He was a little gruff at times too. Over the years, however, experiencing the love of Jesus smoothed out those rough spots. Isn’t that true? As we age, we begin to understand that, yes, things will work out. We see that truly, “honey collects more flies than vinegar”. We’ve known him over 40 years. We’ve seen the transformation that can happen when a person desires to know the Lord more and more deeply. God is happy to smooth those prickly edges as we embrace His presence and know His Word.
This friend of ours had a crazy funny sense of humor. Someone even called him a Kingdom comedian. He didn’t take himself too seriously, therefore he was free to share the joy of levity. He won over many a little kid with his Donald Duck voice and he could famously sing “Blue Christmas” just as well as Porky Pig himself sang it. Hilarious! He loved music and played guitar with many a church worship team plus some outreach bands. He once worked hard to get a fellow guitar player to take up bass guitar so he, Hoyt, could play rhythm guitar! (The other guy, who took up bass, loves bass. So, it’s all good!) He sang. He danced the shag. He loved shag. He wasn’t afraid to have fun!
One more thing. He spent hours and hours loving and helping guys who were down and out, struggling guys who just couldn’t seen to get it together. Our friend would take them under his wing and teach them Biblical as well as practical principles, believing that it’s more helpful to “teach a man to fish”. There is much more I could share with you. This was a very special man.
Over the years, death accumulates, each new death becomes harder to bear. We don’t remember just that person. We remember them all- very person we’ve lost to death. And we reconsider our own lives yet again. What is our legacy? Loss never leaves us, even though we learn to live with it. (Hopefully we have been diligent to deal with the grief.) And grief works its craziness… one minute you’re fine and the next, your eyes are leaking and you’re looking for a tissue. You have all sorts of questions, usually unanswerable, swirling through your mind but soon are content to remember the sweet and funny stories about the deceased. Just grateful for having had them in your life.
Knowing we will again see him, and all those who we’ve lost over the years, is comforting and we depend on that knowledge. Knowing Hoyt is happy and in the presence of his Lord, we can’t help but be happy for him. But we will miss him, nevertheless. We still have the sweet friendship of his wife, of course. And his kids. However, the world is a different place without him.
Enjoy the presence of Jesus, Hoyt! Keep ‘em laughin’ and praisin’ in Heaven! We’ll see you again soon!
So, friends, I’ll be posting my Imagination Vacation Challenge later this week- sometime.
I hope you’ve “been” somewhere in past week. If you have, please post it on IN or FB and tag me. I would love to see where you “went”.
Meanwhile, remember: Jesus really loves you, unconditionally. Truly.
God bless you.
Love you!
Two books about grief you might find helpful:
Charles Cash, Choosing to Mourn: My Journey into Hope, Amazon. com
Trisha Frost, Experiencing Father’s Embrace Through Loss and Grief, Shiloh Place Ministries
“Mountain Trail”, acrylic and ink on paper, painted by me, Sandy Burch, 2022. Photo is mine too.
Happy Saturday! How was your week?
Did you accomplish your goals? I got some good stuff done but not everything I’d hoped. Still, I am counting this past week as a win! And whatever you accomplished, you should count it as a win too! Plus, we got through another week of August heat and we’re still here! I know not everyone shares my love of Autumn and dislike of Summer, so, sorry, but HOORAY! We are one week closer to cooler temps!
My imagination vacation took me to the mountains last week. Where did you imagine-travel?
When you use your imagination, your mind “sees” what you’re thinking and often your mind thinks it’s actually happened. The exercise creates a happy place (or otherwise, if you’re replaying or imagining a not-so-happy stuff). It also changes your focus for as long as you engage in it, thus giving your mind a rest from worry or anxiety.
I enjoyed my “trip”. Because I was making it up it was perfect, of course! I “stayed” in a cozy cottage, overlooking a babbling brook. I could wade or sit on the rocks in the sun. In the evening, I sat on the porch, listening to the water, watching the stars become visible. And the STARS!! Oh! SO many beautiful stars! I LOVE stars! It was heavenly- literally!
During the cool, clear days, I hiked the nearby trails. My feet didn’t hurt, my boots were comfortable and my joints weren’t achy the next day. (See how wonderful imagination can be?) The air smelled of pine and sunshine. I saw birds and rodents, as well as a few deer, but no bears (yay). Bright yellow wildflowers bloomed everywhere along the trail and I could see a sparkling lake in the distance. It was so peaceful. Even though the large evergreens made me feel small, I felt protected and safe in their presence.
This week’s creation is acrylic and ink on paper. It was a busy week and I didn’t have as much time to devote to this challenge, thus, the painting instead of a collage. Collage is fun but more time consuming.
Although I haven’t decided on which medium I’ll use, after the solitude of the mountains, I think I’ll “go” to a big city this coming week. Someplace where I can see a show or concert, do some shopping and have coffee with friends. Then I’ll dress up and have fancy, delicious food in a gorgeous setting.
Where are YOU going this week? Will you use watercolors or acrylics to paint your destination? Or will you do a collage? Maybe you’d rather create a sculpture or a yummy dish specific to your imagined location! I’m looking forward to your joining me so I can see where you “go”!
Happy Monday! Before we move into this week, let’s take a few moments and look back at the first week in August. I sincerely hope it was good to you. Did it bring you new opportunities? I hope there weren’t any challenges- except maybe to “go” somewhere on an imaginary vacation. Did you create an imaginary vacation for yourself? Did you enjoy it?
While I’m still looking forward to the lovely coolness of Autumn, I have to say I enjoyed dreaming up a little road trip last week. It’s pictured above. What do you think?
There’s a lot going on in this multi-media piece. But isn’t that what a road trip is? There’s so much to see! There’s so much variety outside our car windows!
My imaginary trip, in my cute little imaginary car, takes me out of the cities, into the countryside. Rolling hills reveal grazing horses. The 2-lane country roads take me past old mills and farm stands bursting with fresh produce.
We might come to a crossroads with it’s very own country store, always a treasure trove of goodies that usually includes soft drinks in glass bottles. It makes for a fun break from sitting in the car.
Back on the road, we find streams, ponds, lots of lovely trees and more flowers than we can count!
As the sun gets low in the western sky, a trusty map will ensure we’re heading in the right direction to get back home.
Where did you go in your imagination last week?
Where will you go this second week of August?
Moving along into Week 2, this pic is NOT a mess! LOL!
A hint for where I’m “going” this week on my imaginary August vacation.
… it’s a hint.
This is the second week of the August Dream Vacation Challenge (that’s what I’m calling it this week).
How’s your August going? Hope you’re making your dreams come true- even if only in your imagination!
Can you guess where I’ll be “going” this week, based on the colors I’ve pulled out?
Where are YOU “going” this week? How will you either escape or embrace the HOT August weather?
I’ll see you Friday or Saturday with my finished project! Hope you’ll jump in and join me this week!
Wow! New Day. New Week. New Month! All sorts of new beginnings.
August is the fullness of summer. It’s the culmination of June’s planting and July’s growth. It’s seeing the fruition of what was once a plan and a hope. August is the fullness and it’s also the beginning of the end… the end of summer. So it seems like a good time to imagine some new future fun.
New beginnings also bring new challenges. Challenges can be both good and, well, “challenging”. Will you join me in a very informal, fun challenge?
I usually look at August as a time to survive. A month to get through until there’s more hope for the lovely coolness of Autumn.
While surviving, in and of itself, is important, I want to change my internal narrative. I want to see August differently. I want to thrive instead of simply marking time. Besides, at my age, time is not something to squander.
So, I’ve challenged myself to a dream summer vacation, “going” to a different location each week this month! Since I don’t currently have the funds to actually GO, I’m creating my destinations. I’d love it if you would join me in creating this dream August vacation month.
There’s no prize a the end (except the pleasure of having created some art and allowing your mind to run a little wild with imagination!). Nor am I going to be selling you anything at the end. No e-courses, books or mentoring. Nope, Nada! You can just post your creations and we can cheer each other on! Maybe we’ll create a hashtag or something. Maybe we won’t. I’m planning to post my creations at the end of each week with a little explanation of where I “am” and my thoughts in the process. Creating in your imagination is wonderful… everything can be perfect! No rainy days or hurricanes at the beach, no sweltering on the city sidewalks. You can wear the cutest shorts or the most glittery evening gown when you go dancing at dinner!
I’ll be using a variety of techniques and you are welcome to use whatever suits you. You can use any medium and any substrate. You can paint, draw, sculpt, sew, use markers, use colored pencils… whatever strikes your fancy! Hey! You could even imagine-travel by cooking “local” dishes and sharing a photo of the finished product before you dive in for your fancy vacation meal.
Will you join me? I’m beginning the month with a road trip. I’ll share with you how it goes this Friday or Saturday. Stretch your imagination with me! Stretch your creative muscles too! What have you got to lose?
Here’s to a great August! May it be full of creativity and joy… and air conditioning!
See you Saturday!
Pictured is the first step in my “Road Trip”. I’m using watercolor paper as my substrate and I’ll be using the abstract multi-media technique I learned from Laly Mille, because I love it so much!!
My mother would call my name to tell me it was time to come to dinner.
My teacher would call my name to see if I’d done the work and knew the right answer.
When we get married, we say our name to clarify the pledge we take… “I, Sandra…. take you, Colin…”.
Aging and RememberingNames
As we age, we joke about not remembering names. But names are important and worth the effort to learn and remember. It shows respect and care for the person as an individual. No shame if you really just see the person once in awhile and can’t remember. (Just don’t go getting all insulted when they don’t remember your name either.) I recently introduced myself, again, to a person in church. We both knew we’d met previously, but neither could remember the other’s name. We both apologized and both said, “I’ll probably ask again….”. But you know what? In that moment, I knew I needed to remember her name because I’m going to be seeing her regularly. So, all week, I thought about her and, yes, I do remember her name. I could hardly wait to see her the next Sunday, so I can use her name! But she wasn’t there. Then, the NEXT Sunday, she called me by name and I returned the greeting using hers. We both laughed and said we’d been sure to actively remember the other’s name. See? It CAN be done!
Names in the Bible
Names in the Bible seem to be especially important. They took names and their meanings seriously back then! God Almighty, Maker of All Creation, knows my name and yours. Isaiah 43:1 says,”I have called you by name, you are Mine…”. John 10:3 tells us, “… He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.”. In Exodus 33:17, we’re told, “… and I know you by name.” It’s comforting and encouraging to know that God knows me by name. I’m not just some random creation sitting around on a shelf gathering dust. God even calls the stars by name! And there are a whole lot of stars!
God made a covenant with Abram and Sar’ai in Genesis 17 and changed their names to Abraham and Sarah. Their new names reflected the promises given within their covenant. Abram means “exalted father”, whereas “Abraham” (one little letter different) means, “father of a multitude of nations”. Both Sar’ai and Sarah are different forms of the name meaning “princess/woman of strength”. However, the addition of one letter (as with Abraham), adds a deeper nuance denoting, “mother of many nations”. In each case, the addition of that one letter made a huge difference in the meaning of the name.
And then there’s Jabez. His name means, “sorrow, because I bore him in pain”. How would you like to be reminded, every waking moment, that your birth caused your mother great pain? Jabez didn’t ask that God change his name. But he did ask God to “bless (him) and enlarge (his) border, and that (God’s) hand be with (him) and that (God) would keep (him) from hurt and harm (pain)!”, Isaiah 43:1. He asked God to keep him from what his name meant! His mother named him “sorrow and pain” because she had a hard, painful labor and then died. But Jabez overcame his name by asking God to bless him. And God blessed him greatly!
Family Names and Nicknames
Family names carry on tradition. When we named our daughter Elisabeth Ann, my father-in-law said, “How nice. We can call her Betty Ann…” Ummm- NO! He thought it was a nice name but I had other ideas and, thankfully, my hubs agreed with me! Traditional family names are lovely though and carry on our history. For example, my middle name is Elaine. My mother, my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, daughter and granddaughter all have the same middle name- Elaine. I hope it will continue. Elaine means shining light. It didn’t became a tradition intentionally, but I’m happy it did!
Names can also seem off the wall… I once had a friend whose name is Melody Lane. If you took piano lessons when growing up, you might know that name. It’s not only her name but also the name of a sheet-music publisher! Her mother loved music and played the piano and she thought it was a beautiful name!
Whether your name is Sue or Gobbledegook, Moonbeam or Horatio, it meant something to your parents at some point. I do have to say I think some parents are just plain mean to saddle their children with puns or rhymes or worse. I’ve know people named Bunny Easter (un-huh), Harry Buttz, (yep, it’s true). But it’s not for me to judge, is it? By the way, I am not including Native American names in the “odd” names category. Generally, Native American names are drawn from nature, providing the child with a strong sense of being part of the natural world. * That’s a great thing. Give the child a name worth living up to!
The fact that children know their grandparents’ names while they are still children is a product of our electronic age. I don’t think I knew my mother’s mother’s given name until I was at least in my late teens. On the other hand, my other grandmother preferred to be addressed by her first name (she was a woman ahead of her time!). She was “Sally” to all her grandchildren from the start. Later, oddly enough, when we all became adults, we began to refer to her as Granny Sal. A term you’d expect younger grandchildren to use. Even knowing her as Sally, I don’t think I knew her given name, Salome, until I was an adult. At our granddaughter’s wedding, the place card on the table said “Sandra”. Another granddaughter saw it and asked, “who is Sandra?”. She didn’t know it’s me! When I was young, one grandmother called me by my middle name because my nickname, “Sandy”, wasn’t feminine enough for her. I don’t know why she didn’t just call me Sandra. The other grandmother (Granny Sal) called me “Sandy McDuff”, I never knew exactly why but I think it’s because she thought “Sandy” sounded Scottish, thus the added “McDuff”! And, of course, I’ve met my share of dogs named “Sandy”!
Somebody Knows Your Name
We recently changed churches. We only knew of a few people in that church family. Basically, though, no one knew us and we didn’t know anybody. It’s a lonely feeling, to be honest. Moving to a new church was challenging. At our new church, which we like very much, we volunteered to help with a couple of ministries, not only to serve but also so we could meet and get to know a some people. I am surprised at how good it feels when someone says, “Hello, Burch’s!”. Even more pleased when someone recently said she had a job to do and thought “Colin and Sandy” would help (although, sadly we couldn’t this time). It is good to know someone knows your name!
Do You Remember?
Remembering is an important human activity. Remembering names is especially important because we are remembering the person. It is well worth the effort to remember a person’s name because it shows respect for that person. It lets them know you think they are valuable. And they are. Each person is made in the image of God and is, therefore, valuable.
Are you pleased when someone remembers your name? Do you make an effort to remember a new acquaintance’s name?
I love birds! They’re so pretty and have so much to teach us!
From the cardinal couple who lives in our backyard to the crazy fella singing his heart out from the top of the light post in the Walmart parking lot, I love them all! They are so free! Imagine lifting your wings and flying away from trouble. Imagine soaring around beautiful gardens or mountain valleys. How wonderful it must be to have the gift of wings.
Like all wild things, birds trust God. They know they are cared for. The Bible says God gives them food and is aware of when they fall. They are confident in the gifts God gave them- wings to fly away from danger or to find new feeding grounds; sharp eyesight and keen hearing to find food or warn them of danger.
They know how to use their God-given gifts. They don’t have to ask everyday for help, instead they sing happy, cheerful praise for the ways God equipped them. They spread joy wherever they go simply by being there.
The Bible tells us that God provides for birds, even though they are worth far less than people. Birds don’t really DO anything… they certainly don’t sow or reap for their food. If God takes care of birds, how much more does He care for us, His people? (Matthew 6:26) Remember, when God created the earth, He said “it is good” after each day’s work. When He finished creating people, He said “it is VERY good”. I think it’s safe to say God considers humans His highest creation.
He has given us gifts too- everything we need for life and godliness in Christ Jesus. We have what we need- all graciously given for our use by our Heavenly Father. We don’t have to continually ask- although He is happy to give us extra help, (sometimes in the form of reminders of how to use what we have). If I need to dig a hole and you gave me a shovel, it would be silly of me to ask you to dig the hole. I need to use the shovel and gratefully give you a hearty “Thank You” for the gift. When we study God’s word and consider His promises, gifts, and how He sees us, it’s clear that we have everything! We might need help accessing it. We might need help believing it. We might need help knowing how to use those gifts. But we have them. The way to access, believe, know-how, is to be close to God. To seek His face and presence every moment. As we hang out with God, He opens up the doors that seem locked and He provides the information we lack.
I believe our prayers seem ineffective sometimes because we pray for what we already have. We pray for healing, for example, but we already have healing. We know about Jesus’ work at the Cross. He said “It is finished.” By His stripes we ARE (already) healed and healthy. What we need is the manifestation of healing so we can see it working in our daily lives, in our ordinary bodies. When we ask for healing, God probably says, “You’ve got it! Ask for what you don’t have.” In this case, we don’t have healing operating in our daily life, so that’s what we still need from Him. God tells us we have the mind of Christ to know all things, yet we walk around in a stupor wondering what to do. We need to ask for guidance and seek God’s presence because in HIS presence are all things… joy, wisdom, peace, love, provision, deliverance, etc. Whatever we need is within our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
I don’t have this all “figured out”, to make it work in my day to day, moment by moment life. I am “preaching to myself”, big time. But I am seeing more and more how extremely important it is to be in God’s presence all the time. He is with me always, but am I with Him? I’m can see that is often a simple change of perspective. True, it’s not easy to change your perspective. But it isn’t complicated either. Making a shift in my thinking is great here, sitting in my cozy chair. It’s another thing entirely after battling for a parking place that’s not a mile from the store. I need to see myself above the chaos – because I am when I’m with God. Like the bird, sitting on top of the light post, singing like crazy! That bird leads a far-simplier life than I do, for sure. However, if I can be aware of God’s presence, I can surely sing in my heart and be at peace with whatever the situation.
When I am at peace, I am kind and loving toward others. My being at peace brings peace wherever I go. Like the birds bring peace and joy to me whenever I see them.
How about you? Do you find it easy to stay in God’s presence, even in challenging situations? Do you trust the gifts and promises He has given us? Do you sing from the top of the light post?
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Pathways and Portals 