As unto the LORD

There is a lot of road construction going on in our area and so we have been doing a lot of back road driving to get to where we want to go. On one of these trips I shouted for Nonie, who was driving, to pull over. Being the great sister that she is, she didn't ask questions and pulled into a driveway. I jumped out of the car and took a picture of this beautiful red barn. I have always been fascinated with old barns and wondered why most of them are painted red. One theory is that there was a big sale on red paint which caused the local hardware company to purchase more and then the farmers bought more, and so the cycle was started. I also found out that there is an organization in Michigan called "Save Our Barns." I guess I am not the only one that loves the old barns.

Two nights ago at 9:30 pm I looked out my front door and saw the most unusual sunset I had ever seen. I stood there in awe! After these two incidents I couldn't help but think how the Lord has provided so much beauty for us. I know there are things happening in our world that cause us concern. When we watch the news on TV it's a wonder our hearts don't fill us with fear and cause heart attacks. In God's Word Paul gives us some powerful advice, "Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. " God has provided so many good and beautiful things all around for us to enjoy. Did you notice the mailbox in front of the barn? I am confident that the people who live there go to that mailbox each day to pick up their mail. God has given us a mailbox (the Bible) and no matter how many times we open it there is always a piece of good news and it's just what we need as an antidote for all the bad news. I am not involved in the "Save the Barn Campaign." But I want to save and preserve my ability to see the beauty of the Lord all around me.

PS If you live in this area can you guess where the barn is located?

I love June! My sister and her husband come from Florida to stat 5 months with me. My sis and I do lots of fun and exciting things. We are never bored! This morning I started my day at our Morning Glory Prayer Meeting..(isn't that a great name) with some wonderful girls that really know how to pray. On the way to the prayer meeting I stopped at our Child Care and loaded a computer program for our director, Becky. After prayer meeting we picked up some roses and birthday cards and visited one of our prayer partners who had hip surgery. Today was her birthday. When I came home Nonie, (my sis) had purchased a flat of strawberries so we made freezer jam. (It is yummy!) Tonight we are going to have strawberry shortcake, made with homemade biscuits with plenty of whipped cream.

Later I went out to see how my flowers were surviving. I don't exactly have a green thumb. Last fall someone had thinned out their Iris bed and given me some bulbs. I planted them but didn't really take very good care of them. My house was being resided and I knew they probably wouldn't survive all the tramping of the workers.

Much to my amazement ... well you can see for yourself in the picture above. I thought of the Scripture that says God cares for the Lilies of the fields. He certainly must have felt sorry for those Iris and protected them. Isn't that just like the Lord. He is so loving, gracious and merciful, even when we neglect our spiritual lives.

Yes I love June but I have discovered that every month of the year contributes special beauty for us to enjoy. Sometimes during January and February we have to look a little harder but there is always evidence of God's marvelous creation all around us. I am thankful for the luscious strawberries, the beautiful flowers but I am also grateful for the rain, the snow and all of the other blessings that come to us throughout every season.

Jesus is the reason that every season of life provides wonderful gifts for us to enjoy.

Last evening was our Bethany Child Care Graduation. For the past twenty years I have been working with our director, Becky Gilleylen and her staff doing the music for Christmas and Graduation. At the close of the program the children who are going into kindergarten march across the platform with their caps on and receive their diplomas. As I watched the children I had a flash back of the past twenty years and how rapidly the time has flown. In fact last Saturday I attended a high school graduation open house of one of the boys who had walked across our platform and received his diploma at age 5.

Somehow I just wanted to stop time, and keep these little ones, who are so teachable, from getting out into the world and taking on some of the world's ungodly philosophy. It is not that I don't want them to grow up. I simply wish they could all maintain the child-like faith that they now possess, throughout their entire lives. As I sat there listening to their names being called off, I realized that I needed to "seize the moment." So I prayed for each child that the songs, the prayers and the stories about Jesus and His love that are taught in our day care would be indelibly planted in their hearts.

I have been thinking about the song we used to sing, "Only one life, it will soon be past; Only what's done for Christ will last." And so I was once again challenged to not only "treasure the moments," but to "seize the moments" to spread God's love, whether it be in prayer, in kind words, in love or in just giving someone a smile.

Pictures above are of Becky with one of the children on her lap, Joyce our assistant director and myself and the children singing.