Snow!

Yep. Snow. It's out there - all over the place....on the trees, the grass, bushes, sidewalks and roadways. Winter has definitely arrived! And although it's as bitter cold, (-4 degrees wind chill....brrrrrr!), it's still very beautiful to see. We're praying for all the people and animals that are stuck out there in this weather. We're asking GOD to provide the shelter, warmth and food that each one needs. Whenever possible, the Lord wants us to help. All we need to do is ask Him how and where - to direct our paths in such a way that we don't miss one single opportunity to bless others. In these economic times, it can be very difficult, but we've always found that GOD is faithful to take care of us. And He comes up with some really creative ways to do it, too! Well, of course He does....He's GOD!

I just want to take a quick moment to tell you all hello and let you know that you are all in our prayers. I'm so grateful for the rest of the body of Christ! We need each other for so many reasons. Apparently the Lord thought so, or He would have put each person on his or her own planet! :)

So enjoy your day and spend time with Him whenever possible. Turn off the tv, the computer, the cell phones and the ipods. Just go be with Him. It's worth it!

Love to all!

Vicky

Good Morning!

The sun is not shining, but this is a great day. The weather is cold, but it's still a great day. My body isn't as young as it used to be...parts have decided to relocate themselves with a little help from gravity, but this is still a great day!

I may not have all the money I would like to have, or a beautiful figure or the highest I.Q in the world, but this is absolutely a great day. There are people with more influence, bigger houses, newer cars, fewer debts and healthier bodies than mine, but this is positively a wonderfully and gloriously great day.

There is nothing more powerful I can do today that will honor my Father in heaven than to praise Him for every gift, every sacrifice, every blessing, every loss, every struggle, every trial and every hope and wish and dream in my heart. There is no temporal gift that can compare to the Holy and True and Matchless Creator of all things - known and unknown, seen and unseen, existing or future-coming - no, there is nothing that can compare with Yahweh, Jehovah, GOD! There has never been and can never be anyone nor anything capable of taking His place, removing Him from His position, or diminishing His power. He is always going to be the most breath-taking, awe-inspiring, life-restoring, way-making Lord and King!

Every night and day - in every single way - His light shines, His passion burns, His love consumes, His heart protects, His hands enfold, His Word delivers and establishes His children. His law is not destroyed - it is fulfilled. His plans are eternal. He looks and sees and knows yesterday, today and forever - start to finish, inside and out, top to bottom, front to back, through and through.

He sets his hand to deliver and nothing can stop Him! Nothing can withstand His mighty glory! Nothing can take away from His holiness. He is holy beyond comprehension. He is vast! He is never going to stop being! He is more than these little words I use today. He is EVERYTHING! He has no need of counselors - He is the Counselor. He has no need of comforters. His Spirit is THE Comforter.

He has no need of anything, and yet He wants us! He wants you and me and all the rest of His creation....with all of our frailties, our weaknesses and our little tiny dreams. He wants to grow us up into little children. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts. He wants to put crowns on our heads and robes on our backs. He wants to bring us home to heaven to live with Him in beautiful mansions that will never crumble. He wants to sing over us - and He does - songs of love and life and hope, of encouragement and strength. He wants to share the secrets of His heart. He wants to show us things that we could never imagine - even in our wildest dreams.

So look up! Look up! Look up! Your Father is watching. He hears your heart cries. He laughs at the devil. Yes, God laughs, because He knows He will win. He laughs, because He has made sure that the punishment for Satan and those who rebelled against The Holy and Almighty God in the beginning will be absolute and eternal. His laughter is warfare. His laughter is powerful warfare - and He fights for you, beloved. He wars for you!

Today is a great day! Don't miss it! Don't get stuck in the mud of discouragement and depression. Don't get lost in the minutiae of the moment. Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! You are going to see Him! You are going to laugh and dance and play around the throne! You are going to worship with all your might! So rejoice!

Yep, today is a great day! :)

Vicky

Jots and Tittles

I'm cheating. I admit it! Boldly, frankly and unabashedly, I admit it! I'm posting Tuesday's blog three little hours early. Ah, well. Just trying to keep up with all you early bird readers. *winky wink* (winky wink? Did I actually type 'winky wink*... I'm 56 years old... I guess it's okay if I type *winky wink*. Hey, I think I like that. Wonder if anybody else says that. You know, I may be starting a trend, here...) Anyway, back to the blog... I hope this blesses you! Love to all...

Jots and Tittles

Even the words sound skimpy and cute – almost like they aren’t really words. Jots and tittles sound like little pieces of almost nothing. The definition for jot is “the least bit”. A tittle is “the minutest quantity, like the dot over an ‘I’”. Something that could easily be overlooked, perhaps? Hmmmm…I wonder.

And yet, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:17,18 KJV) Sounds like we could say that obedience is a very important thing to Jesus Christ. And we would be right.

I’m reminded of the scriptures that talk about those who are faithful in the least little things, who are later given responsibility over much – like the parable Jesus gave us about the talents. Remember the story? It’s about a man traveling in a far country. He called his servants together before he left on his journey and divided his goods among them. Each servant handled his gift in a different way. One servant, however, didn’t do anything but hide his gift in the ground because he was afraid of his master.

When the master returned and found that two servants had been wise investors, he was pleased and increased their gifts 100%. The servant who had hidden his talent (gift) in the ground was called “wicked and slothful”, and his master took back the gift he had given the servant. The gift was then given to one of the other servants who had instead chosen to be faithful and put their gifts to good use.

We are also called to be faithful in the little things. Things like paying tithing or giving offerings of time, talents or finances into the work of the Lord. Sharing the small things – like a smile, a kind word, a ride to the store, mowing a neighbor’s yard, encouraging a child, hugging an alcoholic or holding your tongue. Things like that. Something that seems so minor, but could impact the whole world. Really.

I remember the story that my sister Linda shared with me one day a few years ago when she was working as a floral designer. On her way into the shop that morning, she had run out of time to stop by the bank to pick up some cash to buy lunch. It was too far to go without making herself late for work, and the schedule for the day was far too hectic to allow her to do so.

After a quick glance in her wallet, she found that she only had a few dollars, and decided that she would just use it to buy herself a fresh chocolate chip cookie from the cookie shop a few stores away from where she worked. They always made a fresh batch in the afternoons, so she made the decision to forget taking a full lunch break, and instead wait until later to get one of those delicious cookies. Since she had to work late that evening, it seemed like the perfect plan. All morning long, she would think about the treat she was going to give herself later that day. Such a small thing, really. But with all of the difficulties she was enduring at that time in her life, it was special to her, and she was really looking forward to it.

As the noon hour approached, one of the new employees at the shop asked my sister if she had any money she could borrow for lunch. The young woman had only recently begun working at the shop and hadn’t received her first paycheck. With a smile on her face and gentle reassurance, Linda told the young woman that it was no trouble at all, and handed over her cookie money. Turning back to finish the floral arrangement she had been working on, Linda cheerfully sent the girl on her way.

The day wore on. Later that afternoon, Linda was busily going about her tasks when a woman from the cookie shop came breezing through the front door. Bubbling with joy, the woman from the cookie shop handed a sack to my sister, explaining that they had just finished baking a fresh batch of their delicious chocolate chip cookies. She said she had decided to bring one to my sister as a treat, because she remembered how much Linda loved them.

As she stood there listening to the woman, my sister stood in awe and wonder at the love of her Creator. She knew that Jesus had sent her that cookie. She knew it as surely as she knew anything. No one else had known what she planned to do with her few dollars that day, but God surely did. She also knew that Holy Spirit had touched that woman’s heart, and the woman had responded in obedience, not even knowing how precious the gift really was to my sister. At a time when the pain in her life was unbearable, the gift of a warm chocolate chip cookie from Jesus meant more to her than words could express. She graciously thanked the woman for her thoughtfulness. And as she opened the bag to enjoy the treat she wasn’t able to buy for herself, she stopped to take time to thank the One Whose love for her encouraged the gift bearer to bless my sister that day.

Now, before any of you theologians get in an uproar about this story, kindly let me explain myself. I realize that there are no references in the Bible about giving warm chocolate chip cookies to women who work in flower shops. I also realize that it’s neither a jot nor a tittle that must be fulfilled. Now that I’ve said that, I’d like to say one more thing…

“Oh God, please help us all be obedient to the impressions You give us daily through the gift of Your precious Holy Spirit. For You have taught me that walking in obedience is the way to live the love we say we have for You. Help us, dear Lord; help us all be obedient with the jots and tittles, and the warm chocolate chip cookies in our lives. In Jesus’ Name...”

Jots and tittles. Such funny little words. Such a powerful message to us all.