I WANT

The 23rd Psalm starts out:  The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.  The trouble is, I DO WANT!  And I have a long list of things I want.  My goal is to acquire each and every one of them.  Will I?  Time will tell.

BUT, don’t we all have lists?  Probably more than one list.  I have a bucket list.  Over the years, it has changed.  I have been to all fifty states, so that was scratched off.  I took sky diving off when I realized the ground could be hard and I know bones break.  I still want to ride a motorcycle.  We all need a bucket list.  It shows we have not given up on life … adventure.

I have a weekly list.  Blog needs to be ready to post Friday morning and Sunday School lesson needs to be prepared by Saturday afternoon.  Laundry is a must.  The weekly list has things on it that I find very easy to overlook.  Dusting can wait until next week and cooking can easily be put off if the day  was hectic and takeout is handy.

Of course, there are other lists.  Those include doctor appointments and meetings.  

The weekly list, the doctor appointment list and list of meetings cannot be called ”wants.”  They would fall under the category of life demands.  The bucket list is a list of wants.  But is there another list?

Ohhhh, YES!  This list is long and is my absolute I WANT list.  This is the list I am working the hardest to acheive.  What is on this list?  Simple things, really, but not in any certain order.

Salvation, Forgiveness, Mercy, Joy, Love, Compassion, Grace, Wisdom, Justification, Faith, Trust, Servant’s heart,  and ……..

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭38‬-‭39‬ 

See what great 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 ‭NIV‬‬

I am a Child of God.  I am a believer in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.  

Well, what do you know.  My absolute I WANT LIST is complete.  

Amen.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

I have not done a random thought for a long time.  That is where I let my mind wonder and see what pops out.  I know.  I know.  This can be scary.

Can you see the video of a child getting glasses or hearing aids, for the first time, and not smile?

When you see a video of kids playing in the mud … admit it … you wish you were still young.

Airplane: Take off or Landing?

My favorite flower is the white rose.

Who started putting silent letters in words?  We don’t say “he ad.”  What purpose does the a perform in the word head?

And, why not spell “cat” with a “k”?

How did anyone come up with the word: Supercalifragilisticexpialidociou?

The song is in your head now isn’t it?  You are thinking of Mary Poppins.  

Don’t get me wrong, I love Sunday School crafts, but how many actually make it home in one piece?

During a long prayer, do you open your eyes to see if everyone still has their heads bowed?

Do you put your money in numerical order or just stuff it in your wallet?

Do you spend change or save it?  Have you missed pennies?

When you are counting your blessings, do you give thanks for windows?  Really think about a window.  Now you want to count them as a blessing, don’t you?

What about chairs?  Another forgotten blessing.

Do you enjoy waking up to the sweet sound of birds or do you know what that bird could do with its chirping before your first cup of coffee?

Do you think God laughs when he sees us trying to find something to watch on 327 stations and 14 streaming services?

One more…

What would your day look like without God?

 THEY FOUND GRASS

An area we drive by needed a cleanup, but that never seemed to happen.  Until last fall.  We noticed some changes.  Improvements.

One yard seemed to be shy of a few yard ornaments.  An old washer and dryer no longer sat by the front steps.  The broken lawn chairs decided to leave with the washer and dryer.  The old truck tires had been painted and now held flowers.  Oh. My gosh!  There was grass!  And the screen that had hung by one hinge was repaired, repainted, and hung proudly on all three hinges.

Then it started.  One home after another emerged from under years of being ignored.  

I believe the women were the driving factor.  I can hear it now.  Susie, looking out the window, says, “Fred, George has cleaned his yard and is mowing.  They have grass.”  Fred replies, “We have grass.”  “Then go find it!”

And, from house to house, the men, at the not so gentle urging from the women, found the grass.  

I don’t know this is how it happened, but the area sure looks better.  There are no front yards that look like landfills and it all began because “George”cleaned up his yard and could mow the grass.

One person made changes and others followed his lead. Thankfully, the changes were positive.

“What about you, Mary?  Taken any broken chairs out of your yard lately?”

Broken chairs?  I don’t have any broken chairs God.  Oh, I get it.  By broken chairs, you mean sins.

“You are quick.  Yes, I mean sins.  For example, when others see you worry less and trust more, they want to do the same.”

Do people really see when I make changes in my life?  My changes can encourage them?

“Yes, Mary.  One way faith grows is by observing how other Christians handle life’s situations.”

(Sigh). Oh great.  So I have to be a Christian 24/7 ?

“Yes, but you have someone supporting you constantly … Me.”

I could not do life without you.  God?  Are you there?  What happened to “constantly”?  God….

“I’m here.  Now go check your yard.  See if you have left bad habits or sins scattered around that could trip other people up.  Remember, you are representing me.  Do it right.”