All of us spend most of our lives working to earn a living. We want to provide for our family and purchase nice things for ourselves. We desire to live in a nice home, and drive a nice car. We want our children to have a good education so we have a college fund. We want to live comfortably in retirement so we have a retirement plan, such as a 401K. We often make these things the highest priorities in our lives and neglect what is truly important, our relationship with our Creator.
God reminds us just how precious we are to Him in Matthew and again in Luke.
Christ reminds us that the lillies of the field do nothing to be beautiful. God created them and gave them their beautiful color and shape. We are infinitely more important to God than a flower, so He will provide for our needs, if we make our relationship with our Creator the most important relationship in our lives. If we want to live our lives on our own terms and take whatever life throws at us, God will allow that to happen. However, if we place our lives in His hands, and seek His guidance everyday, a life that is marked by service, contentment, and joy can be ours. Have a blessed day.
It's hard to believe that we have been our new home nearly a year. This time last year we were in the middle of packing and preparing to downsize our residence. In January of this year we moved to a new location. The home is a little smaller and all brick for less maintenance. The lot is smaller and flatter so it is easier to care for. I know it may be hard to believe, but even the Christmas tree is smaller and there are fewer of them. The main tree used to be 9' tall. The new one is 7.5' tall. There have been as many as four trees, of various sizes in our home. Now there are two. We still have all of the decorations from the past, but now that we know what we need to decorate this house, a lot of the old ornaments will be disposed of after the holiday. I love the warmth and comfort that Christmas brings to the home and to the heart. My wife loves everything about Christmas, including the movies.
The exterior is smaller, the shrubs are smaller, so fewer lights are required to make the Holidays bright. There are even a couple of "up lights" built-in to the front elevation on the left of the frame.
Well, the decorations are complete and most of the shopping is done. All I have to do now is stay current with my Music Marathon. It's my own "guilty pleasure".
I love music and I love finding new Christmas music that conveys the true message of the season. I like the traditional Christmas music, but you can hear that anywhere. If you want to hear a new song or a song that may be new to you, then stop by here during the Christmas season. We're open 24/7. The truth is, Christmas is not about the shopping, or the decorations, or even the time spent with family and friends. It's About The Cross.
The heat of summer begins to fade and the grass no longer requires
weekly attention. Then, the leaves on the trees and shrubs begin to show
a hint of color. The seasons are changing and Autumn is upon us. Even
though fall is three months long, the peak colors only last a few weeks.
Even when the leaves surrender to the wind, turn loose of their branch
and float to the ground, they remain colorful for a brief time. I love
Autumn. How about you?
Back in the twentieth century (the mid sixties to be exact), when I was in high school, there were far fewer sports for student athletes to choose to participate in, at least in Oklahoma. In the fall, there was FOOTBALL...period!
Winter brought basketball and wrestling (and wrestling was king in Oklahoma). When spring came, baseball, swimming, and track & field were offered. My choices were football, rest, baseball. I only participated in track on an intramural level. My 100m time was good for high school. My long jump distance was just shy of 24 feet. My distance running was abysmal. I didn't like the mile and I hated the 800m. 200m was as far as I cared to run at one time. Whenever we had to run a mile for time, I ran just fast enough to get a grade of "A". If 6 min. and 30 seconds got me an "A", I ran somewhere between 6:05 and 6:20. However, when it came to the long jump, I was always trying to figure out how to jump farther. A new personal record was always my goal. It was a matter of love for the event that determined my priorities.
The priorities that we set in our lives have a lot to do with our success and happiness in this life. This world would tell you that you need to work more jobs, longer hours, and put out a stronger effort than anyone else in order to be successful, make more money, and be happy. Some of the most miserable people I have ever met are those who are caught up in the rat race. True happiness comes from God and God alone.
In the Bible, Jesus himself says, "I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly." An abundant life is not filled with diplomas, medals, possessions, or positions of honor. An abundant life is filled with peace, joy, strength, comfort, love, and humility. All of these things come from the Creator through His son, Jesus Christ. While I was never a distance runner in high school, life is not a sprint, it is a marathon and we are all in it for the long haul. The race of life is worth the extra effort necessary to finish well. That effort includes prayer, study of Gods word, worship, and obedience to the instructions of the greatest "life coach" of all...God Almighty.
A calm lake, a few clouds at sunset and you have a magic place to relax for a little while. This is one of my favorite places in the spring and summer. In fact, if you were to tell me to go to my "happy place", you just might find me here. It's only a few miles from the house and I've some very good luck catching fish with the grandcrew here. I'm sure we will make several trips here this year as well. Have a blessed and happy week-end.
