MIRACLE OF THE IRIS by Shirley Bruns

I had been out of the country when the information packets for "Ten Days in the Upper Room" were handed out in my church one Sunday in October of 1999. By the time I was able to sit down and examine the materials that had been prepared for our use, three days had already passed.

As I read through the steps, I wondered if condensing ten days' activities into seven would result in any meaningful, spiritual rewards. Then, I came to Step 7 regarding fasting, and my doubts vanished.

I decided I could do mental and physical fasting. I would refrain from spending two or three hours an evening watching Fox News Network, and I would give up lunches.

I had great support with my first area of fasting. . .our cable was out when we returned, and by the time TCI found out that we had been disconnected when new apparatus had been installed during our absence, I was quite able to withstand any temptations to turn on the t.v.

The second area proved to be more of a problem. When after a few days, I mentioned to my daughter, a nurse, that I felt a little dizzy, perhaps from fasting for one meal a day, she was quick to warn me of the negative effects this could have on border-line diabetics. I knew she was right, but I decided to give up at least desserts.

Three days to go, and I was wondering if God really would give me "fresh, new spiritual insights". I wanted some sign that He loved me. I stepped out onto the back patio and looked up at the beautiful blue sky, the sunshine on the golden leaves of the trees, and suddenly I raised my arms and began praising Him and thanking Him for all that He had done for me, and through me.

Then a miracle happened! I looked down upon a large pot, sitting on a picnic bench, in which had been replanted, some dwarf iris plants, descended from some my mother had taken from our family home in North Dakota to Ohio forty-four years ago. I had brought a few to Colorado about twenty-five years ago. Each year, fewer survived, and for the past two years, there had been no blooms. However, I could not give up on them. I kept watering them, and placing the pot in the sunshine, hoping for a miracle.

There it was, before my eyes, a beautiful, dark, rich purple iris, in full bloom! A day and a half earlier, there had not even been a bud when I watered them.

As I plucked out a few dried leaves, leaving the perfect flower surrounded by beautiful green leaves, I felt God's presence, telling me that I, too, though old, could still be bright and beautiful to Him. If I stay in His presence, and follow his commands, I, too, can bloom, and give joy to others. He will bring refreshing rain and invigorating sunshine into my life, and His love can shine on others through me.

I remembered that purple is the color of royalty. How appropriate! A gift from my Lord and King!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Shirley Bruns

APOLOGY

I came across a beautiful echo photo of a graceful dancing lady on line and thought it would be the perfect picture to accompany my devotional. The man to whom the picture was hot linked believed I stole it and thought it quite hilarious to put a satanic picture in its place. I apologize to the man - it was not my intention to steal anything. I thought if I give the info where I found the picture it was giving credit where credit is due. Apparently that is wrong and I am wrong. I have much to learn about this blogging thing. I sincerely apologize to the man – I believe his name is Chris – it was a very beautiful picture. Sorry I cannot share it.
Lyndi

DANCING WITH GOD

August 29, 2007

When writing a note to friends or even many of my devotionals I often sign off with the phrase, “Dancing in the Palm of His hand”. It’s my way of expressing my delight in the Lord. About a year or more ago my friend Grace sent me the sweetest piece about dancing with God. At the time I thought, “oh this will make such a good devotional” and I tucked it away in my saving place. I had been thinking about sharing it just recently when I received a letter from my sister Jeane. In the letter I found a song my sister wrote inspired by the phrase, “Dancing in the Palm of His hand”. Oh how special now I must share them both with you.

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw ‘G’ I thought of God, followed by 'u’ and ‘i’.

"God, 'u’ and ‘i’ dance."

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
Writer: Unknown

Dance in the palm of His hand
© by Jeane Kemper

I came from California
Left there when I was 10
Moved all over the Country
Just tryin’ to fit in
As I began to feel at home
It’s time to move again
OH - - will I ever find where I belong

Chorus:
But You are with me Lord
No matter where I go
With Your gentle reminder
I’ll always dance in the palm of Your hand

Life has many roads to travel
Some are good and some not so
There’s a gift in the adventure
No matter where we go
He’s always watching over us
Through all our highs and lows
And we’ll always know it’s here where we belong

Chorus:
But You are with me Lord
No matter where I go
With Your gentle reminder
I’ll always dance in the palm of Your hand

A pearl to string: My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies be upon you on this day and every day. May you abide in God as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life. Prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive. So let's continue to pray for one another.

And I Hope You Dance!!!!!!!
Know you are loved
Dancing in the palm of His hand,
Lyndi

All in His Hands by Nicole Walters

Read more from Nicole in
My Goodness Magazine
You'll find Blessings and a Godly
perspective on everyday life from
this precious faithful young woman.
http://www.mygoodnessmagazine.com/




Yesterday my friend gave birth to her second child, a little girl.
Yesterday I took a call for another friend who an Emmy award-winning
filmmaker wants to hire to do the music for his new documentary on Downs Syndrome.
Yesterday we had a very fun CD listening party for Dave LeMieux and House of Soul.
Yesterday an uncle discovered he has to have a lung removed.
Yesterday a friend’s house got burgled and she lost irreplaceable valuables, including pictures of her family.

Who knows what a day will bring; celebration in one hand, calamity in the other.

Ecclesiastes 7:13, 14:
Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.

There is a necessary faith to embrace if we are to live this life without fear. On any given day, our lives can change, go in directions we’d never considered or stagnate, leaving us feeling aimless, unsatisfied and without purpose. I take comfort in knowing that as random as life can seem, there is a Divine designer behind the scenes and in the details who we can trust, who is in control and who, in His power over all things, can demonstrate His love whatever our life circumstance - the birth of a new baby or the loss of a lung.

I look back on days when the news was nothing but “bad.”
The day I found out that at 16 I was pregnant,
the day that I miscarried twins,
the day my husband confessed infidelity.
I thought those clouds would never break, I believed those days transcended the laws of nature and would go on forever, but they didn’t . . .


Today I’m grateful for those dark days because from them came some of my brightest and I have a 21-year-old who has blessed my life more than I can describe, I have Cole who I adore with everything in me and who would never have been a fourth child (believe me!), and from the darkness of Marc’s affair came the light of his greatest love affair, with God.

So whatever today brings for you and me, I pray that our faith is unwavering, our steps are firm and our hope in the Goodness of God and one another remains . . . come what may.

Psalm 37: 4-6:
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Peace and Blessings,

Nicole Walters

I SEE JESUS

August 22, 2007

I SEE JESUS
by Summer Waters age 11,

I saw Jesus last week ...
He was wearing blue jeans and an old shirt. He was up at the church building; He was alone and working hard. For just a minute he looked a little like one of our members.
But it was Jesus ... I could tell by his smile.

I saw Jesus last Sunday ...
He was teaching a Bible class. He didn't talk real loud or use long words, but you could tell he believed what he said. For just a minute, he looked like my Bible teacher.
But it was Jesus ... I could tell by his loving voice.

I saw Jesus yesterday ...
He was at the hospital visiting a friend who was sick. They prayed together quietly. For just a minute he looked like Brother Jones.
But it was Jesus ... I could tell by the tears in his eyes.

I saw Jesus this morning ...
He was in my kitchen making my breakfast and fixing me a special lunch. For just a minute he looked like my mom.
But it was Jesus ... I could feel the love from his heart.

I see Jesus everywhere ...
Taking food to the sick ... Welcoming others to his home ... Being friendly to a newcomer ... & for just a minute, I think He's someone I know.
But it's always Jesus... I can tell by the way he serves.

Happy Birthday Coach Wonderful (8-22-40) I see Jesus in you.

Pearl to string: Go be Jesus to someone today! Someone's looking for you! Someone needs His smile, His loving voice, His compassion, His love, and His tender serving ways.

May God’s Son shine on you,
Lyndi

The Smallest Piece

August 15, 2007

The Smallest Piece
Associate Pastor David Langerfeld from Harrisburg Baptist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi (I just love spelling that) tells a story about a fourteenth-century Italian stained-glass artist who was summoned to design a huge portrait for the window of a cathedral in Chartres, France. The artist laid all of the pieces he was going to use out on the floor of the cathedral. They were beautiful to behold; most of them were large and colorful. Some of the colors from that time cannot even be reproduced today. Among these awesome pieces of glass was a small, clear piece about as big as your fingernail.

As the stained-glass portrait was assembled, that little piece remained on the floor. Only the big colorful pieces of glass were used. On the day of the window's completion, the tiny piece of clear glass was still lying on the ground.

The entire city gathered to witness the unveiling of the brilliant and beautiful stained-glass portrait. The artist stood in front of the crowd, made his speech, and dramatically pulled down the cloth cover. The crowd gasped at the beauty of the colorful window glowing in the sunlight. After a few seconds, however, the crowd grew silent. They sensed that something was missing, that the portrait was unfinished.

The great artist then walked over to where the little clear piece of glass lay, picked it up, and placed it in the portrait, right in the center of Jesus' eye. As the sun hit that little piece, it gave off a dazzling sparkle. The magnificent stained glass window still draws visitors. The first thing they see is that sparkle in Jesus' eye.

A pearl to string: Psalm 17:8 tells us that God thinks of you as the “apple of his eye”. You may struggle to see yourself as measuring up to others or doing anything big for God. You may think you are “all that” and need a little ‘tude check. Regardless of your impression of yourself God finds you so valuable that He sent His Son Jesus to die for you and keep you with Him for all eternity if that would be your heart desire too.

Is there anyone who would like to say the sinner’s prayer? I’ll say it with you. Sinner's Prayer? That's not for me you think- I'm not a Sinner! "Sinner" is a word that gets a bad rap these days - and well it should. Unfortunately, the bad rap it is getting is for the wrong reasons. Confronted with our shortcomings, we are quick to defend ourselves with words like, "I'm not a sinner! I don't go around sinning! I've never murdered anyone or anything like that!" The problem is - we don't really know what the word sin means. We think it only applies to some despicable act that repulses "church people" who want to hang big scarlet letters around our necks. But sin simply means to miss the mark; to fall short of the goal. The fact is, we are all sinners, for there is no one, save Christ alone, who has lived a life that did not in some way fall short of the perfection God requires. We all deserve to pay the penalty for that sin, which is to spend eternity in hell. There are no "magical" words that result in salvation. It is only faith in Jesus' death and resurrection that can save us. Respond to God’s call by crying out to the Lord, repenting of your sins, and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (Messiah Yeshua). And please, come just as you are; Jesus will clean up your life as you faithfully seek and follow Him.
Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20)

You are the sparkle in His eye,
Lyndi

Speed Trees

August 8, 2007

A state trooper pulled over a woman on a lonely back road and said, "Ma'am, is there a reason why you're weaving all over the road?"

The woman replied, "Oh officer, thank goodness you're here! I almost had an accident! I looked up and there was a tree right in front of me. So, I swerved to the left and there was another tree in front of me. Then, I swerved to the right and there was another tree in front of me!"

The officer reached through the side window to the rear view mirror, and explained, "Ma'am... that's your air freshener."

Like that woman, we spend much of our lives "dodging the trees" that are not really there. We worry (and lose sleep) over things which never materialize. We hesitate to take action because we are fearful of what "might" happen. Our imagined fears keep us from driving down the straight and narrow ("What will they say? What will they do?") Remember only negatives are developed in a darkroom!

"The lazy man says, 'There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!' " Proverbs 22:13

Was there really a lion in the streets? No, but any excuse will work when you don't want to do something, even dodging imaginary obstacles. Henry Ford had a handle on this when he said, "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." Remember whose kid you are. You’ve got genetically disposed gifts in your gene pool.

A pearl to string: If you want your dreams to come true, don't oversleep.

With a Mother’s solution there are three ways to get something done:
1. Do it yourself.
2. Hire someone to do it for you.
3. Forbid your kids to do it.

We know in God’s Word that Jesus himself, tells us “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Jesus is telling us He has the sufficiency of power, if we can just bring the mustard seed of faith to receive it.

As our son Mike always says, “Christians don't fight for victory, we fight from victory”.

Is there anything you've hesitated doing lately because of tree type obstacle in your way? Be certain the obstacle is real. It might just be your air freshener! That really stinks!

Depending on Jesus to freshen my air,
Lyndi

Forgiveness is a CHOICE by Kareen Rose

I was so moved by this writer
I just had to share her work
in hopes that it will bless a
hurting heart today.
Lyndi



It is a choice to let the person who hurt you go free without
repercussions. Forgiveness does not mean you approve of the actions and
if a law was broken, there could be proper punishment involved. However,
the act of forgiveness does not depend on an apology being said or
reprimands given. It is an issue of the heart, a conscious decision to
let go of the hurt and move on with your life.

When my first born grew taller than me, he also became belligerent and
violent. He stopped calling me mom and a couple of extended periods
stopped speaking to me altogether. To this day I do not understand the
reasons behind his behavior. He never chose to explain it to me. Through
tears of pain, I forgive him and let go of the hurt he inflicted on my
heart. I was able to continue to love him.

Shortly before his sudden death, we were reconciled and became a family
again. My heart sang. It did not matter if I understood his reasoning.
It did not matter if he apologized or tried to make right his wrongs
toward me. All that mattered was that I was free from the hurt because I
forgave him and now I was reaping the benefits. We were a complete
family once again.

I very seldom consider how I would feel if I had never forgiven him
before he died. Not only would I carry the grief of the death of a child,
I would have the hard, cold knot of unforgiveness to carry with it.

Does it matter that he never whispered an apology to me? No. I made a
choice to forgive my son no matter the situation. Because of that
decision, the chains that would have tied my heart into painful bondage
for the rest of my life were broken. I am free to love him and enjoy his
memory the rest of my life.

"Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for
love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of
others]." - I Peter 4:8 Amplified Bible

by Kareen Rose, kareencarter@yahoo.com