Birds

Trust, painted by me, Sandy Burch. Available for purchase at http://www.sandyburch.com

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?

In This Last Week of Spring, Part 2

Happy First Day of Summer!

As we head into a new Season, we’ve been looking back a bit at the previous one to see what we’ve learned, what we want to discard, what we want to change, what we want to learn. This First Day of Summer is the perfect time to do that and even though Saturday is almost over, if we don’t quite finish, we still have Sunday!

We’ve determined that Spring 2020 was not predictable in any way, shape or form. And that is precisely why it’s important to look back over the last 3 months and take inventory. I’ve been trying to take stock about once a quarter, to re-examine my goals, look at the positive and negative experiences of the previous season. We all tend to take stock at the beginning of the year… think: New Year’s Resolutions. But instead of stockpiling all our losses and gains, it’s a good idea to look at life more in the moment. In fact, it’s probably a good idea to set aside some time each week to do a little pondering along those lines. Perhaps that’s partly what Sabbath is meant for… slowing down, being quiet before the Lord, asking Him for guidance.

So, here it is- officially Summer. Let’s allow Spring to guide us into Summer.

What has Spring brought me? What have I learned? What have I accomplished, lost, enjoyed, hated? What can I improve upon? What can I unload? In the previous post, I listed many of the things I’ve learned during Spring 2020. Some of those things are silly, some are practical and some are more serious. What’s on your list?

I think the biggest thing I learned during this crazy Spring is that I can change my perspective. Changing my perspective on this whole pandemic thing and now, on the racial problems we face as a nation, has made a difference in the way I think and deal with my daily life. It’s the difference between worry and trusting God. The difference between what satan wants us to see and what the Lord God Almighty sees. It is truly the difference between total inky darkness and brilliant bright sun Light. I want to see as God sees. I want to know that there IS Light, even if I can’t see it at this moment.

Then, there’s the question of planning. How can I even think of making a plan? I’m realizing I need to live in the moment and make the plan as I go. Or, allow the plan to come to me. Be intentional in holding the future a little looser. Yes, we can plan. We can plan the way we see others, we can decide how we can be kinder and more encouraging to people we meet. And I can still set goals to take steps toward whatever my vision is. We might have to tweak those plans and goals, but if they were valid in January, they are still valid in June. It’s hard to know how to plan or think when nothing seems to be consistent or sure anymore. However, it is do-able as long as we focus on what’s important – focusing on the Love and faithfulness of Father God, who is always consistent and sure.

As we set off into a new season, Summer, remember to take a deep breath. Pray. Hold your head up and don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. Seek a new perspective. Reframe. Summer might not look exactly as you planned or what other summers have been like but you and I will find our way through it when we focus on the Lord and let Him lead us.

It can still be a summer of refreshing and enjoying outside activities. It can still be a season of growth- both in the garden and personally. Let your roots go down deep into the cool soil, and let your face glow in the warm Summer sunshine. We can Hope for a better tomorrow as we make changes to deal with an uncertain today.

 

Seasons: A Springtime Guest Blogger

 

I have a treat for you this week! This is Anna.

We’re still stuck in this lengthening season of pandemic and all that goes with it, and I, for one, need a new perspective. I think we all entered this Stay-At-Home period thinking that it’ll be over and safe again in a few weeks. It looked like a sprint. We can do this. And we have. But now it’s wearing thin. It’s turning into a marathon. We are tired of it. We are worried but afraid to take the time to face our concerns and so, are looking for something to do that will take our mind off the virus but is somehow a “noble” pursuit.

Stop a few minutes and consider what my guest blogger has to offer.

Here’s a fresh voice: Anna McAuley! My lovely granddaughter is quite accomplished (she’s even a published author among other things) and a deep thinker. She is the one who inspired me to start blogging. (She began blogging when she was just 11!)

Anna is young but she is wise. Enjoy her latest blog:

“Hello, friends!

Anna here.  In light of the insanity still happening in our world, I wanted to encourage you all with a few thoughts that have been on my heart lately.

Recently, the words of Psalm 16 have been in my mind.  They’ve encouraged me greatly and given me a lot of peace amidst the current chaos that makes up our world.

I specifically love verses 1 and 2:

“Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.  I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” (Psalm 16:1-2)

      God is our refuge- our shelter; our safe place.  This is true in seasons of peace, when hope and rejoicing come easily.  It’s true in the seasons when everything seems to be going well; the seasons where we might feel self-reliant and potentially forget that God is our one refuge and source of strength.

It’s also true in the harder seasons of our lives.  Even if we’re “stuck”, waiting, longing, and wondering in the middle of a storm, God is our refuge.

Our shelter.

Our safe place.

    If you feel lost or hopeless in this season, you have the opportunity to lean into Jesus and become stronger than you’ve ever been before.

There’s a great reminder of this in 2 Corinthians:

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then

I am strong.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

       Your despair can be turned into your greatest hope, because when you’re forced to realize that you can’t rely on yourself, you can instead rely on God.  He provides us with powerful, unshakable hope and all-sufficient strength… hope and strength that come directly from Him, who is all-powerful.

You are at your strongest when your strength comes not from you, but from God.

Your weakest becomes your strongest.

This is a season of weakness for many of us- most of us are struggling with some form of anxiety, doubt, anger, fear, etc.  But when we choose to use our weaknesses as a reminder to turn back to God, we can turn this season into a season of learning to rely on God more and more, leaning into our faith, and digging deeper in our relationship with Him.

     When God is on your side, nothing can stand against you.  When we set the Lord before us, turn to Him, rely on Him and hope in Him, we are secure.  We have unshakable hope.

As verse 11 of Psalm 16 tells us, God makes known to us the path of life.

He fills us with joy in His presence.

Eternal pleasures are at His right hand.

This is a hard season for all of us, but stay strong, friends.

With God on our side, we will not be shaken.

Happy Friday!

-Anna”

More info about Anna if you are interested in following her blog or other endeavors:

Thrive Here (my blog): https://annamcauley.wixsite.com/thrivehere

Testify (the site I run with my friends): https://testifyhisglory.wixsite.com/testify

Instagram: www.instagram.com/itsannaelisabeth

Here’s the blurb from my “about me” page:

“My name is Anna, and I’m the author behind Thrive Here.

I’m from North Carolina, and am currently a Junior in college studying Advertising and Political Science.

I love painting, reading, writing, baking, and exploring the great outdoors.

I’m a deep thinker, I like to laugh (a lot), and I’m an enthusiast of a lot of things.

I love spending time with friends and family, creating in some form, or enjoying quiet time alone with Jesus.

I’m a big fan of coffee, pandas, flowers, pizza, bright colors, the mountains, the ocean, music, running, and Jesus!

My prayer for this site is that it encourages others to seek joy in the ordinary, while pointing them to the hope and love of Jesus Christ.”

 

How is that for perspective?

Do Anna’s words give you something to think about? Maybe help you shift your perspective a little bit?

As with all seasons, we have the opportunity to suffer what we don’t like or to find some good in it. There are usually silver linings to be found if we choose to look for them. In the midst of my concerns and frustrations over this very wonky Spring, I am reminding myself of the good things I have. And you know what? The good continues to outweigh the not-so-good.

Please add your thoughts! Are you getting tired of being restricted? Are you having trouble find silver linings or do you find them easily? What are your hopes and prayers for getting back to our new “normal”, whatever that may become?

Thank you for reading! Don’t forget to go follow Anna. She is very inspiring.

Praying you see your Silver Lining Blessings!