I love to give gifts.
I enjoy giving gifts to people 
who aren't expecting a gift.
I enjoy giving secret gifts.
The more I give, the more I enjoy.


I have come to the realization 
that I am very richly blessed by God.
And out of that abundance,
I am called to give.

God gives to us so that we may give to others.
And He delights in a cheerful giver.
I don't believe this just means 
my tithe and offerings.
It means time, talents, a smile.

It also means "a little happy".
I read this in my Daily Guidepost 
devotional this morning.
These are small gifts that mean 
something to the recipient.
A gifts that brings a little happy 
to the one who receives it.
I love to give those.


God certainly gave the best gift of all.
How can we who are so blessed 
by Him because of that gift, not give?
And give cheerfully.
And give with love!

It's storming today.

It's hard to believe after all the rain we've gotten this spring, 

but we really do need it.

We've had several weeks of unusually hot days.

The green grass is turning brown and dying.

So the rain is a welcome relief.

The air smells fresh and clean.

The thunder is a comforting sound to someone like me 

who loves thunderstorms.

A good storm clears the air.

The sky is cloudy and dark.

It too is comforting to me.

Not sure why.

Maybe it's because the thunder, darkness, and rain 

reflect how I feel on some days.

 Like today.

I am feeling sad today.

Not sure why.

I feel like there's a storm on my horizon.

Not necessarily a bad storm.

Just a storm that will bring change to some part of my life.

I guess I've settled into a comfort zone.

I think God may be getting ready to shake thinks up a bit.

I'm not scared, just sad and pensive.

If God is preparing me for change,

I want to listen and be ready.

It may be a small change.

It may be a major change.

Whatever it is,

I'll cling to His promise that

He "knows the plans He has for me, 

plans to prosper and not to harm me, 

plans to give me hope and a future".

Jeremiah 29:11

So I will relish this storm inside my soul.

I will let the 

"rain, thunder, and darkness"

cleanse my life.

I will allow the sadness to envelop me for a time.

But then I will walk out into the Sonshine
and behold the rainbow of promise God has prepared for me.

And I will embrace joy!

Wonder

Obedience

Reverence

Singing

Holiness

Immanuel

Praise

 

"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. 

Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. 

That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: 

those who are simply and honestly themselves 

before him in their worship. 

God is sheer being itself—Spirit. 

Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, 

their spirits, their true selves, in adoration." 

John 4:22-24 MSG

 

Jesus!

Jesus!

Jesus!

What a wonderful Name!

When I'm sad and I whisper that Name,

 I'm comforted.

When I'm afraid and I breath that Name,

I'm encouraged.

When I'm weary and I sigh that Name,

I'm re-energized.

When I'm happy and I shout that Name,

I'm uplifted.

JESUS!

What a wonderful Name!

Wildflowers & Songs

"Spring flowers are in blossom all over."

Fragrant gifts God richly bestows.

Scent of lavender and clover

into the air freely flows.

Daisies and poppies, asters and sage,
primrose and hollyhock, zinnias and marigolds
sprinkle the landscape with color ablaze
lighting the horizon with a vision that glows.

"The whole world's a choir and singing!"
Choruses of praise fill the air.
Sounds of nature joyously ringing

spreading the Good News everywhere.

Crickets and toads, robins and geese,

water and rain, thunder and wind,

all raise the voices in sweet release

sounding their joy in a sweet melodic blend.

How do I join this offering of praise to my Savior?

How can my life be a sweet aroma that brings Him pleasure?

How can my life be a vision that brings Him favor?

How can my voice be a melody that He treasures ?

Simply live in and for Him each day of my life.

Rest in His loving arms that offer shelter and peace.

Cease from the world's striving and strife.

Humble myself so that He may increase.

A life well lived for Jesus each day

is all He asks from His child.

Wildflowers and songs His blessings display

in a life that is lived meek and mild.

"Lord,

May my life be 

a wildflower blooming

and chorus wafting

in praise and honor to You!"

Too many people today see God as the loving giving Being 

who never gets angry or disciplines His child.

I guess they have never read the scriptures 

that describe the God who is 

righteous, judging, and does discipline His child.

In fact, 

it seems to me that if you are not disciplined by God at some point, 

since we all sin, you are not His child.

Think about it.

Parents who truly love their child teach them right from wrong.

They do this by correcting their behavior.

Discipline.

God delights in seeing His child become 

the unique person he or she was created to be.

He accomplishes this in HIs perfect way.

Love, grace, mercy, joy, and, yes, discipline are just a few of the ways 

He touches the life of His child.

 

Look at your life.

If you never experience the loving discipline of God,

you need to reexamine your relationship with Him.

When you do experience discipline, 

and by that I don't mean guilt or condemnation,

but loving correction,

 be thankful and let it change you.

 

Jesus said,

"The people I love, 

I call to account—prod and correct and guide 

so that they'll live at their best. 

Up on your feet, then! 

About face! Run after God!"

Revelation 3:19

"Father,  

I am thank that You love me enough to discipline me.

Make me accepting of this.

I desire to allow Your convicting of my sins to change me 

as I become the person You  created me to be.

I love You!

In Jesus' Precious Name,

Amen."

"Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten 

by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!

—stolen by burglars. 

Stockpile treasure in heaven, 

where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. 

It's obvious, isn't it? 

The place where your treasure is, 

is the place you will most want to be, 

and end up being"

Matthew 6:19-21 MSG

 

 I've been thinking about what's important to me lately.

Just what do I treasure?

I treasure my family.

I treasure my freedom in so many ways!

I treasure my friends.

Most of all, I treasure my relationship with 

God the Father,

Jesus the Son,

and the Holy Spirit!

This hasn't always been so, I'm afraid.

Too many times in my life I've treasured things of this world.

I've treasured houses, furniture, cars, and clothes.

I've treasured what others thought about me.

I've treasured education.

I've treasured being "noticed" for the "right" reasons.

I've treasured being know as a "good" Christian.

There's nothing wrong with those things.

God has richly blessed me with many of them.

The problem is when they become my treasure,

My reason for doing what I do.

That's when they take first place in my heart.

That is called sin.

God has been working on my heart lately.

The more time I spend with Him,

the more I treasure Him.

The more I treasure Him,

the more I treasure our relationship.

This is how a child of The King should live.

I want to spend eternity with God.

Therefore, I chose to lay up my treasures in Heaven.

What about you?