Heavy Heart Syndrome...

For the last several weeks I have been suffering from 'heavy heart' syndrome. 

A previously-healthy, sweet friend of mine is in the hospital struggling to regain her health, and her family and friends are concerned for her condition. I hear the prayer list at church and so many of our older members are struggling with health problems or dealing with spouses who have memory issues as well as those affecting their overall health, and they are tired and worn out. 

Storms Roll In

In place of a sunrise this morning, there was this.

I thought maybe I wouldn't capture the scene, as it was significantly uglier than what I see so often in its place, but then I thought about how often our days mirror this sky and not the beautiful, untroubled skies I often see.

So many of us have troubles and struggles and strongholds to hack through every day. Some of us have physical illness or deformity - unwieldy and/or disobedient children that make us wring our hands and cry - issues between spouses that have caused hurt and/or emotional separation - a loss of a job and/or financial struggles - some of us find solace in emotional pain because the familiarity it offers makes it so hard to move forward that we stay mired in the past...whatever the reason, we all have storms in our life and sometimes more often than calm. There is an answer, however.

Peter reminds us (1st Peter 5:7) to 'cast' all your care upon him (Jesus) for He careth for you. Jesus himself promised,

"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." Following Jesus can be hard. Often, it's easier - more human feeling - to struggle; to feel depressed, to cry and wail and gnash our teeth - but Jesus promises we needn't have to waste our days in this way.

All we need to do is pray,

"Lord, take my burden, ease my woe, bring your peace in place of my misery and show me the way." I've done this more than once (after much personal struggle!) and it works! If you truly want your burden lifted and heart healed, and you pray this prayer with real sincerity, you will feel lighter and see a path through your storm. Don't be afraid. Don't stay stuck. Jesus, as always, is the answer!

The Importance of Evangelism

This morning as I was doing my farm chores, I chose to fertilize some of my berry bushes with water from the duck pond.

To Everything A Season

Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that: 

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." 

(The Byrds also told us that, when songs about Jesus used to be commonplace on the radio, but few of us remember that anymore...) 

Training Children Is Like Training Tomato Plants!

These are but two rows of my tomato plants. I grow about 12 different varieties. Some are the same from year to year, but others are new and I can't wait to see what the fruit will look and taste like.

This year, my husband Dave suggested I grow them on a wire trellis system rather than trying to put cages around them because those take up so much room and we have so many plants. I gladly accepted his advice and assistance and we got the plants training along the wires, adding new ones above as the vines grew.

Stop Complaining, Start Counting Blessings

Solomon tells us [Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)]

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven". He then goes on to enumerate all the things for which there are seasons.

Nature Reflects The Glory Of God

 

I awoke this morning a bit before 5am. The windows are open, not only because the giant white puppies - Great Pyrenees and cattle dog mix - chewed the ignition wire on the air conditioner and we can't turn it on, but because there is nothing like the sounds of the country in the morning. 

Prayer For A New Day

It's 6am. I'm at the top of my driveway looking east after carting the garbage cans to the road. 

After depositing my charge at the blacktop, I stop to take in all that's going on around me. It's impossible not to notice because as the fire in the sky slowly grows, so do the sounds.

Late Bloomer

I was a later bloomer. Well, that's not quite accurate - I was an early starter, it just took me a really long time to capitalize on life. I was married at 19, had a baby by 20 and divorced when I was 27. I started college at 26 because, as with everything else in my life, I knew pretty much all there was to know, so what could college offer?

The Beauty of Nature Often Calls Us to God

A light coating of raindrops drip through the trees and cascade to the mat of dead leaves below making snapping sounds as though nature giving itself a round of applause for its effort. What can only be described as a cacophony of bird calls bounce off the canyon walls, amplifying their conversations to Heaven. Frequently, the haunting trill of a lone whippoorwill rises to distinction above the din.

We Are The "Fragrance" of Christ To Others

I read this morning's devotion with much conviction. First, it was Friday's study that I'd not made time to read Friday and, second, because it reminded me that it's not just the people we meet on the street to whom we are the Bible. Above all, we are the Bible to our family.

Miracles Do Happen - They've Happened To Me!

The other night, our family watched the movie "Miracles From Heaven" with Jennifer Garner. 

The editing and story were excellent and by the time the daughter experiences her miracle, you're either POSITIVE it was a miracle, or a bit more hardhearted and cynical than I think you probably aught to be - even today! 

Hear With Your Heart

I was an atheist while pursuing my degrees in Biology.

Because I was studying field Biology and not applied Biology, I had lots and lots of courses with 'field' components - meaning a part of the course included trips into nature to study. I remember one trip west of Altus to study Hispid cotton rats (you know them as 'pack' rats). We literally camped in a cow pasture with cows milling around just outside the perimeter in which we had set up our tents.

A Band-Aid For the Soul

My husband and I are early risers. We've never gotten up past 7am - unless we're sick - and we're rarely to bed past 10. Weekday mornings Dave is up at 4:30am and I'm up at 5:30. Even on Sunday mornings when we'll be off to church by 9, we're still up at 6, preparing to go out and plant a few things that didn't get in the garden, taking care of animals, fence lines or other chores, before coming in to get ready for church.