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Showing posts from April, 2021

Lessons from the Dragonfly (Day 3 from Besides Still Waters)

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                Did you know the dragonfly’s two compound eyes makeup almost its entire head and using 80% of its brainpower? The Bible tells us that the Godhead, the trinity meaning three in one, is made up of God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit of God; and has the unique attribute of having infinite power, universal presence, and all knowledge. 1 Corinthians 11:3 tells us that God is the head of Christ and Christ is the head of the church and that he, “. . . gave Him to be head over all things to the church.” (Ephesians 1:22 NKJV)   So you see the dragonfly, one of God’s simplest creations, in man’s eyes, speaks volumes about its creator, the cross and our new life in Christ.           To me the beauty of God’s creation is that I see Him all around me, I wait for Him to speak through what I see because His living word dwells in me. I don’t know your past or your present circumstances; but I do know the God who has a plan for your life, one that will give you hope a

Lessons from the Dragonfly (Day 2 from Beside Still Waters)

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            For many of us when we first see a dragonfly we try our best to brush it away because its looks intimidate us, however they neither bite nor sting.   Perhaps we’ve been stung or bitten in the past and are afraid they will do the same, we often judge people and circumstances in the same way; why because we are focused on our fears. In our minds, we are thinking of every time we’ve been hurt, it’s like writing a screenplay and we’ve rewritten it a thousand times each time with a different horrible ending. Fear leads to worry, the more you worry about something it can cause you to panic; before long you have everything has blown all out of perspective.   My life was once ruled by fear because of the abuse, when I started studying my Bible I came across a scripture that changed my life; “There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear because fear involves torment . . .” (1 John4:18 NKJV) As a child, I did not feel loved so I opened the door to fear, but when I r

Lessons from the Dragonfly (Day 1 from Beside Still Waters)

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  ". . . You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes."  Matthew 11:25        I HAVE NOTICES THAT every time we’re out on the lake we find ourselves with beautiful passengers darting about the boat, dragonflies, they are such unique little creatures varying in both size and color. Every time we go fishing there will, at some time, be one sitting on the tip of my poll just inches from the water; the first time this happened my thoughts went to Genesis 1:2, “. . . And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water.” (NKJV) Maybe that why I always had an attraction to water because from the beginning the Spirit of God was there. When the dragonflies make their appearance on the boat they bring me comfort because they remind me of my sister.  I can’t help but smile because she never too far from my thoughts.  She started collecting them a few years ago and can be found on everything from wall décor to her jewelry; one of the r

Beside Still Waters (Day 3 from Beside Still Waters)

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         It was later that night when I was sitting on the back deck just enjoying the stillness of the night the Lord began to speak to my heart. At first, I struggled with the scripture I was given, perhaps because I understood it more than I wanted to admit.  It was after the resurrection, Jesus was asking Peter, “. . . do you love me more than these?” (meaning the others he was with); Peters answered, “. . . Yes, Lord, you know that I’m your friend.”  A second time Jesus asked, “. . . do you love me?” Again Peter answered, “. . . Yes, Lord, you know that I am your friend,”  Jesus asked him a third time, “. . . are you my friend?” and Peter stated he was his friend. (John 21:15-17, CJB) Did you see the difference? Most translations use only the word ‘love,’ but in this text, two different Greek words are used for love, agapao , implies a total commitment and phileo , which is more of brotherly love. Did you notice when Jesus asked the third time he used the same term Petered had ans

Beside Still Waters (Day 2 from Beside Still Waters)

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  Do you remember the waters that originated from the temple in Ezekiel 47, when Ezekiel was first led into the water it came up to his ankles, and then he was led further until it came to his knees? Each time he was taken out a little further until the water was deep enough for Ezekiel to swim. Over the next several months that was what the Lord did with me.  During times of rest, I learned the lessons of waiting and being still before the Lord, not allowing my mind to wander but to meditate on His word and who I was in Christ. Isaiah 30:15 tells us, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, and in quietness and trust is your strength . . .” (NIV). I spent a long time at the edge of the water that falls allowing His peace to wash over me. The sounds of the birds overhead were once again music to my ears, even the night songs of the frogs brought a sense of joy. I loved to walk around the yard when the wind was blowing just strong enough for the leaves to come down like a gentle rain.

Beside Still Waters (Day 1 from Beside Still Waters)

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 ". . . He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul . . ." Psalm 23:2-3 WE MOVED INTO OUR lake house in the Fall of 2013, it was so beautiful with all the colors of the season, the woods across the lake was vibrant in oranges, yellows, and just a touch of reds. The sun streaming down on the water from between the clouds created stairways from heaven.  Being near the water has always been a place for me where the heavens seemed to touch the earth, a place where God and his creation came together in worship. I think this move meant more to me than to my husband, perhaps he even did it because he felt it was what I needed. There is a special attraction I have to the water, it’s where I feel closest to the Lord and draw inspiration. I was searching for a purpose in my life and needed a place of rest and restoration to find my way again. Financially it wasn’t a good decision, physically we were exhausted from the months of downsizing and the move itself took its toll on u

On Eagles Wings (from Beside Still Waters)

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      Isaiah 40:31 has long been a favorite scripture for Christians with many quoting it in reference to their Christian walk, but I can’t help but wonder if they understand the relevance to the eagle; it says     “. . . Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” However, we would not be doing the text justice unless we look at it as a whole; the first word we need to look at is ‘wait.’ I want you to think back to a time when you wanted something for Christmas in the worst way, marking off the days on the calendar as you waited with great anticipation, hoping and praying it would be there on Christmas morning. That’s the way the Lord wants you to WAIT for the blessings he has for you! I can almost see a smile on your face, but as a child of God, that’s only the beginning. Now let’s look at the phrase ‘renew their strength,’ when the eagle is migrating sometimes they

On Eagles Wings (Day 2 from Beside Still Waters)

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    That brings me to another lesson the Lord taught me about eagles. In Genesis 3:1 mankind was introduced to the first predator, “. . . The serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made  " . . . When Eve was being deceived by the serpent we have our first example of spiritual warfare, Eve lost her battle because she fought it in the natural realm, in other words on her enemies’ battleground.   Now picture with me an eagle soaring high above the ground searching for its next meal and it spots a snake on the ground, suddenly it swoops down to snatch its prey in its talons and with a flap of its powerful wings soars upward high into the sky. Do you see what happened, the eagle chose its battleground . On the ground the snake has the power, he’s cunning and can be potentially deadly, but in the air, it has no balance or power making it vulnerable. The eagle effortlessly defeats the snake by releasing it allowing it to tumble towards the earth powe

On Eagles Wings (Day 1 from Besides Still Waters)

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  ". . . I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." Exodus 19:4        SOME MORNINGS I LIKE to take my tea down to the lakefront and enjoy it sitting in the swing. This morning was so peaceful and quiet, with a gentle breeze coming in off the water, that I lost track of time. My thoughts were distracted by a large shadow moving across the water, as I looked up I was thrilled to see an eagle circling. I don’t believe another bird takes my breath away as the eagle, they are truly majestic. With the biggest smile on my face, I thanked the Lord for bringing me here. Each sighting is amazing to watch, but there was one that still keeps me in awe. It was early in the evening and we decided to cook hotdogs over the fire, as we were sitting around the fire waiting on the flames to settle, an eagle appeared out of nowhere, talons extended he hit the water, and just as quickly as he came, he flew upward again with his fish clutched tightly in his talons. It was t

Wounded Soldier (Day 2 from Letters to a Friend)

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  I was listening to, WOUNDED SOLDIER, he was singing to those who had been wounded by the very ones they were defending.   The first part goes like this: “Wounded soldier on the ground, broken, bleeding, beaten down, feeling defeated, and feeling not needed, alone, abandoned on the battleground !”   Been there?   I know I have.   But you must remember, that while you are interceding for others, God has His Aaron’s and Hur’s to hold up your hands as He did for Moses giving them the victory over the Amalekites. T he Israelites won their battle, not only that day but all the battles God commanded them to fight.   And you too will win, the Word says: “. . . the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.   Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God.”    What a comfort it is to KNOW that He is fighting for you.   That not only has He given you weapons for your warfare that are not of this world but of the spirit that can pull down every stron

Wounded Soldier (Day 1 from Letters to a Friend)

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  Wounded Soldier     Today while driving home I was listening to a CD by Dennis Jernigan, THIS IS MY DESTINY; the song that was playing at the time was WOUNDED SOLDIER, it reminded me of a trip I took several years ago to Washington DC. I had gone for a woman’s conference, and we had taken the day to see sights around the city. I remember that day well; one of the sights we visited was Arlington Cemetery, it was a humbling experience I will never forget.    I watched the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, there is so much ritual involved both at the tomb and in the lives of the men that have volunteered for this duty. Even though their service is for two years they make a lifetime commitment. I also saw the eternal flame and temporary gravesite that was put in place for President Kennedy’s state funeral just three days after his assassination. I did not know there were two Kennedy infants interred there as well. I was only a teenager when he was assassinated, I

The Old Oak Tree (Day 2 from Cleansing Thoughts)

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       Our God is loving and merciful, who understands the hidden desires of our hearts, and I believe He longs to see His children walking in the peace He has provided for us. I also believe if we have opened our spiritual eyes to see, He will allow us to see a glimpse into eternity. For me, it was my visit to the old oak tree.    He knew I needed to know my grandparents would be reunited with their son because of the circumstances of his death. And that I needed peace in my heart that my father was forgiven and with the Lord. He also knew I needed closure with the loss of my little girl. The Lord knew how much I longed to see my uncle before he passed away. I learned later from my cousin that at the same time that I saw him with my father under the old oak tree; my uncle had gone home to be with the Lord.       In a prophecy of judgment at the desolation of Israel in Zechariah 11:13, the oaks of Bashan are said to howl because of death. Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, was buried under