Today, I will intentionally look for beautiful signs of summer: reflections on the lake, 
green grass, blue skies or even gray skies made tolerable by the smell of sweet rain. Today, I will listen for the love songs of birds, the breeze making its way through the leaves on the trees out back, the pitter patter of rain on my favorite picture window. It’s funny how rain can be so melancholy, peaceful and refreshing all at the same time. Today, I will breathe in deeply and take time to enjoy the scents of summer—even the cow poo in the field across the way as I know that that cow poo eventually fertilizes a field of beautiful green grass and wildflowers. Today, I will stop to feel the gentle breeze as it caresses my skin, the warmth of the sunshine embracing my soul or, if the day brings it, the cleansing rain on my face. Today, I will intentionally look for the Presence of God and realize that all these things are His love letters to me; tangible proof of an infinite, unyielding and unfailing love.
God
Cutting Through The Weeds of Life
Writer’s Note: Life has sowed a new crop of weeds over this past little while with multiple family illnesses and situations that have prevented me from writing. For that reason, I decided to re-publish this post from last August. I hope you enjoy and will help me pray for my family as we go through this trying time. Things are looking up tonight and I am quite certain that we have prayer to thank for that. God is good. All the time.
The other day, a friend was telling me that he gets his inspiration while riding his 
motorcycle to which I quickly quipped that I got mine on my riding lawnmower. And while I said it jokingly, it’s really very true. Indeed, sometimes God speaks to us in the strangest places—and, for me, it is quite often over the roaring of a lawnmower engine. Perhaps He finds that it is easier for him to “cut” to the chase as the rapid revolutions of the engine and blades drown out all the other noise of my world and I become more focused on Him and His creation. It really is a special time during which, over the years, I have received a lot of great insight.
This past weekend, for example, as I carefully and—I like to think skillfully—maneuvered my fire-engine red Craftsman mower with shiny chrome wheel covers tightly alongside the landscape timbers that separate the grass from my flowerbeds, I felt him nudging me to take a closer look inside the beds. Much to my dismay, what I saw was more weeds than flowers. It is then that I heard these words in my heart; words that flowed melodically and in perfect harmony with what was now just a backup hum from the mower.
Your Heart is like the flowers
The most fruitful of seeds
It will die if not tended
Choked out by weeds.
Stopping the engine, I immediately hopped off the mower and started tending that flower bed. I pulled, plucked and tugged every weed. And, with each weed I pulled, it was if God breathed new nuggets of wisdom into my soul. He explained that the enemy has one play in his playbook—to plant weeds anywhere He Himself has planted seeds. In the case of our own hearts, the weeds represent things like sorrow, regret and shame. The evil one knows all too well that if he can keep us focused on the weeds, he can keep us from growing into the creations that God intended.
But, oh no, you devilish one, you are quite mistaken. God is the gardener of my life. And where you sow a crop of weeds, God is always standing by to pull, tug and pluck every single one. In fact, Matthew 15:13 promises us that “every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.’”
Indeed, as children of God, we should forgive ourselves and each other, just as God forgave us through His son, Jesus Christ. By forgiving, we pluck the weeds of sorrow, regret and shame and free ourselves to give love to and receive love from God and others, just as we are commanded in Matthew 22:37-39:
“And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
By forgiving, we free ourselves to be more fruitful—to grow more and more into His image, the image in which we were created in the first place.
Ah, sweet Jesus, I have held this teaching close all week and, today, as I prepared to do my weekly mowing once again, I noticed those flowers and plants which I tended last week have bounced right back and are full of life. My heart is feeling pretty full of life, too. Thank You for loving me; for never giving up on me; for forgiving me through your Son and my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; and for always being willing to tend the garden of my heart. Please help me to do my part so that I can produce fruit that will make You proud. Now, I’m off to hop on the lawnmower. You know, I’ve been thinking. Perhaps, I will give the ol’ Craftsman a name. Harley. That way I can tell my motorcycle friends that I, too, find my inspiration when riding my Harley! 🙂 Amen and Ehmen!
Have a blessed, weed-free day, y’all!
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Night Lights
Although I stepped outside to complete a chore, I was instantly captivated by the sweet sounds of a world preparing to slumber. On this beautiful clear night, a gazillion stars gather around the quarter moon like groupies at a rock concert. Nature’s own night lights illuminate the sky and world below with just enough light to enjoy this summer night. I couldn’t help but smile when I noticed several of the stars perched atop the palm tree as if God himself saw fit to decorate its branches. God thought of absolutely everything and tonight as the beauty of His creation enveloped me and stopped me in my tracks, I praise Him and His Holy Name. Thank you, God, for absolutely everything. Amen and Ehmen.
Psalm 8: 3-5
3When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
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Missing You Moments
Today as I was riding down the road, blue skies and puffy clouds overhead, I saw a convertible Mustang. Convertible Mustangs always make me think of you.
As I pulled up beside it at the red light, I could hear that they were listening to country radio. Singer-Songwriter Cole Swindell was singing “You Should Be Here,” a song he wrote about his beloved and dearly departed dad.
“…Ah this is one of those moments that’s got your name written all over it. And you know that if I have just one wish it’d be that you didn’t have to miss this. Aw you should be here,” the radio blared as memories flooded my soul and overflowed onto my cheeks.
Oh how I wish that it was you behind the wheel. I sure do miss you, brother, but am thankful for the memories and the moments that still have your name all over them.
Amen and Ehmen.
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Father’s Day Feelings…
Writer’s Note: My dad was on the receiving end of a robber’s bullet many, many years ago, when I was just a little girl, robbing me of the opportunity to grow up with a father in my life. I have since forgiven the one who took him from us, but it still hurts, even all of these decades later…
I sit and stare at the photograph. Like my memories, it is faded. I just don’t seem to
remember much. Black and white, shades of gray memories. I know you once existed in physical form, but, unfortunately, our life together was way too short; pretty much just a foreword and preface to my own story. Sometimes I wonder if I have blocked memories of my childhood, just because your untimely departure hurt so much. Because I know if I remember the good times then I will also have to remember how those good times ended. Those were dark days, even for an 8-year old whose most pressing decision was whether or not to climb the tree in the backyard. One day you were there and the next you were gone.
And even though my present mind sees our days together as a mere outline, like the beginning of a sketch without the details filled in, today, on this Father’s Day, I sit here and FEEL a flood of memories. I FEEL your warmth as we cuddled up on the couch and watched Elvis movies AFTER my bedtime. I FEEL your strength when you’d catch me as I leaped into your arms when you came home from work. Please forgive me if I ever hugged your neck too tight as I searched for that ever-present piece of gum in the pocket of your starched white shirt. I FEEL your gentleness and compassion as—after being banished to my room to “just wait until your father gets home—you arrived to lovingly correct me and, with the fluffy wallop of a pillow, forgave me of my transgressions. I FEEL the pride I felt when I was up at “daddy’s work.” Yes, that was me that was always rummaging in your desk drawers for change for the coke and snack machines, and no, I still do NOT want a piece of the fruitcake you sold for the Civitan Club. I FEEL thankful for all the family times, the vacations in Clearwater, Florida at the Sandlewood Hotel, the holidays, the dinners around the dining room table and all the moments for the eight years that we were together. For though I don’t remember many of the details, I DO remember the FEELINGs of LOVE—feelings powerful enough to help me navigate through your most devastating and tragic departure; through the difficult years that followed as we tried to put our lives back together; through the many years and many milestones that would have been so much more with you here; all the way through today as I spend this Father’s Day weekend feeling memories made more than four decades ago; memories that turned into a life time of love.
Thank you, God, for my earthly dad and for this walk down memory lane. But, most of all, God, I thank you for YOU and for your promise that one day my stroll down Memory Lane will bring me to Heaven’s Gate where I will once again have the chance to jump into my Daddy’s arms. Make sure you have Juicy Fruit. It was always my favorite. Happy Father’s Day to you both. Amen and Ehmen!
Writer’s Note: My dad was on the receiving end of a robber’s bullet many, many years ago, when I was just a little girl, robbing me of the opportunity to grow up with a father in my life. I have since forgiven the one who took him from us, but it still hurts, even all of these decades later…
I sit and stare at the photograph. Like my memories, it is faded. I just don’t seem to remember much. Black and white, shades of gray memories. I know you once existed in physical form, but, unfortunately, our life together was way too short; pretty much just a foreword and preface to my own story. Sometimes I wonder if I have blocked memories of my childhood, just because your untimely departure hurt so much. Because I know if I remember the good times then I will also have to remember how…
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Suit Up and Pray for Orlando and the World
With one finger, a deranged man takes the life of a beloved singer.
With one finger, a madman pledging allegiance to ISIS takes the lives of 50.
Within just hours two different men pulled the triggers that cast the happiest place on earth into a sea of heartbreak and tears.
What triggers such heinous actions?
Fear and hate. The same thing that triggered the heinous crucifixion of Jesus Christ. But our Lord and Savior defeated death once and for all so that all that believe in Him shall have everlasting life. Thank goodness for Him for, in my opinion, He is the only thing that makes any sense at all in a fallen world left gasping for air.
Indeed, as the seconds, minutes and hours tick off, as the days turn into night, it seems as if the darkness is completely overtaking us. Satan is hard at work and knows just what to use to cloud our souls, to hurl as many souls as possible into an abyss of hate, confusion, loneliness, hurt and depression. The prince of darkness knows full well that is harder for us to follow and find comfort in our Great God when our eyes are shrouded by clouds.
What that devil can’t comprehend, however, is how our faith can still rise up like a phoenix from the darkest, nethermost reaches of his hellish plantings. How, just when he thinks he has us in his evil grip, the majestic bird adorned with colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet scoops us up and drops us safely in the lap of our Father.
Oh my, please don’t you ever forget, no matter what, that we are safe in our Father’s lap. And from that place of safety, we should lift up our eyes and voices in prayer, not just for Orlando and Florida, but for the United States and the entire world. Don’t stop with the victims and their family and friends, but pray for each and every aching heart on the planet. We must stand together in solidarity; we must stand in the gap and intercede; we must be fervent and relentless. We must keep crying out to The Father who loves us. We must curl up in His lap and receive comfort and healing as well as training and power. In His Name, we can and will make a difference. Our weapons are bigger than anything the enemy can muster and, unlike him, we are indestructible. The Bible tells us so. Stand up. Suit up. Live and pray in His awesome power.
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:10-18
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Doggone, Dagon, What You Gonna Do Now?
I have been reading and listening to 1 Samuel this week and just can’t seem to quit thinking about Chapter 5. I keep getting the funniest vision in my head that keeps playing over and over, kind of like an Instagram Boomerang video, those little one second video loops. In fact, if Instagram had been around in those days I’m pretty sure God would have posted a Boomerang clip of Him tipping the Philistine’s God, Dagon, right off of his pedestal. With a smile and a quick flip of the very tip of his pinky finger, I see Him flicking Dagon right flat to the ground. The caption? “Doggone Dagon, what you gonna do now?”
Silly Philistines. Here they thought Dagon had helped them defeat the Israelites, and in turn, captured the Ark of God and placed it in Dagon’s Temple as a trophy for him. Perhaps if there really had been a Boomerang video of what happened next, those stubborn Philistines would not have come up with trivial explanations as to why their precious god was laying prostrate, himself bowing down, at the foot of the Ark of God of Israel. They would not have wound up starting a game of hot potato among the Philistine kingdoms which resulted in debilitating plagues and, ultimately, in the decision to send the Ark of God right back to the Israelites.
The really sad part about this to me is that, instead of experiencing suffering and judgement, the Philistines could have benefited from the presence of the Ark of God had they repented and turned towards Him. The same is true today. It is amazing how far humankind will go to glue our Dagons back together and to reject and send away anything that requires a change in our way of life or way of thinking. We can keep setting up other gods, but what they provide will always be temporary and fleeting and they –and, most especially, we –will all eventually stand at the feet of the One True God. I intend to be there of my own free will, on my knees, hands and head lifted high, praising and glorifying Him. The only thump needed here is the thump of a heart that belongs to God Almighty. Amen and Ehmen!
1 Samuel, Chapter 5
5 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.
6 The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors.[a] 7 When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.” 8 So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”
They answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.
9 But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.[b] 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron…
***
It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.'” Romans 14:11
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A Purposeful Conversation with God
Writer’s Note: This is an excerpt from my personal God Journals which was written in June of 2014. It’s a theme that has come up often for me in the past seven or so years and, in fact, continues to do so. Thank Goodness our Father in Heaven loves us so much that He is
willing to continue reminding us of His love, grace and promises as many times as it takes. Amen and Ehmen!
6/21/14
Good morning, God. I know you’ve been urging me to open a blank page for a while now and I also know that I have been stalling. I’m not sure why. Our blank page conversations have always been incredible. Just know, and I know you do, that I am so very sorry. Being close to you and living out the purpose you have planned for me is what I genuinely want most in this life. And, now, I turn the page over to you. I love you, Lord.
“Dearest Brenda,
I have missed our blank page time, too. You know how much I love words. My Word is from whence all creation sprang; it is the glue which holds it all together, a living, breathing instruction manual and map to guide all of my children; and it is the answer, the truth and the light which shines so bright allowing my children to actually see their ultimate future.
Yes, I love words and this is why I have given you that same love. It delights me to see you opening your gift and I wait patiently for you to start actually using it. It does no good to sit it up on a shelf. This is not a keepsake. It will not grow in value unless you USE it. Think of it as potter’s clay. What beauty or purpose would a lump of clay have if the potter just put it on a shelf? What are the chances others would find it of any real value? But, if the potter uses that clay and molds it into a new creation, then all of a sudden, it takes on new life with real value.
I remind you of the parable of the talents. If you recall, there were three servants and each were given the same amount of talents. Two of them used their talents to increase their Master’s wealth and one just simply buried it. I do not need more wealth, for all is mine, but I do want you to increase my kingdom. Use the talents that I have given you to grow My kingdom. Weave letters into words and words into stories in which my children can see Me. My stories and miracles did not end with the penning of the Bible. I am ALIVE and creating stories of beauty, miracles, and everlasting life every minute of every day. Don’t forget, my dear child, that I breathed LIFE into the nostrils of Adam and thus every single human that breathes today has MY breath in them. Use it, child, to breathe life into your gift, your words…do it for Me; do it for My Glory. It’s what I created you for.”
Oh wow, I forgot how good this makes me feel. I’m sitting here with a smile that keeps growing with every letter I type. I’m off to look up the parable of the talents. I think this shall be my Bible study for the day. Lord, help me to use the talents you have given me and keep me on course. I want nothing more than to grow Your kingdom and make You happy. Much love from earth to heaven. Amen and Ehmen!
Click here to read the Parable of The Talents for yourself… The Parable of the Talents
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The Whole Picture
Too many of us try to fill that God-shaped space with other things and people. It never works. Like a puzzle, He is the only thing that fits and completes the picture. Amen and Ehmen.
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The Heart of Home Improvement
If you are a Christ follower with a broken heart, take solace in knowing that your heart won’t stay broken forever.
Look at this way: If you went home and your house had been destroyed by a storm, you wouldn’t just ignore it and live amongst the rubble. You would repair it and make it livable again.
God does the same thing. Your heart is His home and He’s not only going to repair it, but He’s going to make improvements and additions galore until it is truly fit for a King.
I don’t know about you, but I’m up for remodeling anytime! Thank you, Jesus!
Amen and Ehmen!
Amen and Ehmen! 