Friday, October 28, 2011

HARVEST

SCRIPTURES

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease. Genesis 8:22

…. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and the joy will be complete. Deuteronomy 16:15

HARVEST

When I hear that word, I see fields waiting – corn, soybeans, wheat – waiting to give back what was planted, tended and given a chance to grow. I would like to offer a prayer for all those farmers that are in the fields. A prayer for all that harvest the crops that feed us.

Lord, thank you that there will always be a seed time and a harvest time. Your farmers are in the fields. Protect them. The equipment is so big and accidents can happen so quickly. Let their minds not wander from their task. Prosper them. Let their yields be high and prices remain stable. Give them strength. Let their bodies be strong during this harvest so they can work the long hours and, when the opportunity arrives, allow their bodies and minds to rest. Give them perseverance. Farmers are true stewards of your earth! Let them have the vision and wisdom to move from planting to tending to waiting to harvest to waiting and then to planting. Yes Lord, your farmers need perseverance.

Lord, thank you for all involved in agriculture! Send a special blessing that they will know their effort, their work, their calling is directed by you.

Amen

SCRIPTURE

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest fields.” Matthew 9:37

HARVEST

Lord, your church is to have a different type of harvest. We are to harvest souls! Instill in us the desire to be farmers for God. Let us plant the seed of your word. Let us each tend and nurture all believers. Let us have patience, as we wait for the spiritual growing that only your Holy Spirit can give. Let us be prepared for the harvest as believers unite in worship.

Lord, instill in each disciple the desire to be farmers for God, so that when the final harvest begins, not one “kernel” will be lost in the field.

AMEN AND AMEN

Today – no questions and no final prayer. Today your job is to thank the farmers as you enjoy your next meal.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

NEVER ALONE

(CASA – COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE – The voice of the child)

Naomi Haines Griffith was the keynote speaker at the 2011 CASA State Conference. What a speaker! First of all, she is from the south and I absolutely love her accent. Second, she sure could make you laugh and then immediately hit you with a zinger.

One minute we would be laughing as she described the real way to cook green beans and her dead family members. She said she grew up thinking all families were just like hers.

Just like hers until – Until she realized no child is ever alone. Every child has their family with them; it is just that we cannot see them. Every child grows up thinking the world is like their family -- Kind/Cruel, Chaos/Calm, Loving/Distant -- and to understand the child we have to understand the family.

This is a lesson I am learning as I work with children and families. Sometimes it is hard to understand why they just don’t get it. (Look at the family.) Sometimes, I wonder if they will ever get it. (Look at the family.) Sometimes,

Sometimes – No, always, I have to look below the surface and ignore the obvious. Always I have to realize they are a part of a unique family – their family – and that is how children see the world. Always I have to ask, “Tell me about your family.” Then I have to listen with my ears, my eyes and my heart.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Do you remember being asked, “Whose child are you?” Were you proud to answer? Did you answer with your head held high? Or did you look to the ground and quietly give your answer? Knowing you were going to be judged unkindly.

Do you judge the way others live against the way you live? (And the answer to the last question is yes. We all do that.)

NEVER ALONE

Just as no child is ever alone because they carry their family with them, you are never alone. Our earthly families may be a long way from perfect but when asked the question, “Whose child are you?” you do not need to hang your head. You can proudly hold your head high and proclaim to the world:

SCRIPTURES:

I AM A CHILD OF GOD (How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1)

AND MY FATHER IS ALWAYS WITH ME. (“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 and Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ….. even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:8-10)

LET US PRAY (Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.)

Today Lord I lift up all your hurting children, no matter their age. Some children come from families that are hard to understand and some families do not treat their children the way they should. Today Lord I lift up all your hurting children. Surround them with your arms and give them comfort. Today Lord I lift up all your hurting children. Send into their lives someone who will listen with their ears, eyes and heart. Today Lord I lift up all your hurting children. Amen

Thursday, October 13, 2011

AM I INVISABLE?

Picture this: I drive a red - a very red - Envoy. Not a BIG vehicle but big enough. Big enough YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IT!!

It happened again this week. Just driving home, down the main street of our small town, and, "WHAT?" A pickup pulls out and across the lane I am in! It was a good thing I was not changing channels or using my cell phone.

"CAN HE NOT SEE ME? AM I INVISABLE?"

One day, after driving to our daughters, I asked Terri to look out her window and see if she could see anything in her driveway. "Your car." she said.

I came back with, "If you can see my red, four wheel, SUV why couldn't the milk truck that came around the curve in my lane, the black car that pulled out in front of me and the -----

"AM I INVISABLE?"

Do you ever feel invisible? Like no one knows you are there? Like they cannot see you? Or hear you?

SCRIPTURE

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth -- he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. Psalm 33:13-15

"AM I INVISABLE?" You are not invisible to God!

LET US PRAY: Psalm 121

Lord, I lift up my eyes to the hills and there find You, the Maker of heaven and earth. To You I am not invisible. Thank You for helping me during the day, by giving me shade from the sun and keeping my feet from slipping onto the wrong path. Thank you for keeping me safe during the night. To you I am not invisible. 24/7/365 You see me. Thank you for always watching over me no matter where I am.

"AM I INVISABLE?" NOT TO YOU!!! Lord, when I feel invisible, as if no one knows I am here, allow me to look up and know you are looking back. Amen

Friday, October 07, 2011

DID YOU EVER WONDER?

Why do you not see the dust on the TV until someone un-expectantly comes to visit?

Why is the 12 and less lane closed when you have two items and open when you have 13?

Why does it rain really hard until you call off the picnic and then the sun comes out?

Why is the blouse to-die-for only available in a size smaller or one size larger than you wear?

Why, when people tell you your kids are so sweet, do you wonder if they are confused as to which ones belong to you?

Why does it sound like there is a cup of salt still in the box but when you cut the top of there is only a few grains?

We all have questions and things we wonder about. We ponder the oddities of everyday life. We contemplate the universe.

Asking questions is nothing new. The Bible is full of people asking questions.

What is the greatest commandment?

Why didn't Jesus' disciples fast?

Will you give us a sign from heaven?

Should we pay taxes?

Why do you speak in parables?

WHO WOULD HAVE THE AUDACITY TO QUESTION JESUS?

SCRIPTURES

Mark 2:18 - some people

Mark 8:11 - Pharisees

Mark 12:18 - Sadducees

Mark 12:28 - teacher of the law

Luke 20:21 - spies

Matthew 13:10 - disciples

DID YOU EVER WONDER? As you can see many people wondered about what Jesus said and about what Jesus did. Know what that means?

It is okay to ask questions. Know what else? The Bible has the answers.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Have you ever felt guilty because you questioned God?

LET US PRAY (Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.)

It is me again, Lord. Today I want to ask you, "Why did you make the sky blue? Why did you make birds fly? Are you real? Is Jesus your Son? Does the Holy Spirit really live in me? How can I be sure?" "Why did you make me?" See, that is my big question. Why did you make me? Is it okay to ask that? Amen