Category: Rejoice and Praise
Are Pets Thankful
Occasionally, looking into the eyes of my daughter’s dog, I will joke with my daughter about what that dog is thinking. Do animals think? I’ve heard that thinking is what differentiates animals from humans. At one time didn’t people think it was communication—talking—that separated us from animals? Huh. My daughter’s cat talks. Well, okay, not in English. Cat talk, I guess. She has a particular way of saying, “Eeyowaaaah” when it’s around the time of day she is feed. When she decides she wants attention, she says, “Eeh,” while rubbing against my leg. And the other day, at the laundry room door, she said, “Eeyo.” It wasn’t feeding time. She wasn’t near by to want her head scratched. What does “Eeyo” mean.
Blue Moon
No. Not the beer It was a real blue moon—the second full moon of July.
The white line across the photo is the boat’s lifeline. In the distance is a small island.
In the early evening I went out to the lake for a sail on Cassandra, a 25 foot Cape Dory sailboat. The dusk is long, bright, this time of year. And the moon, though not huge like a harvest moon, greeted me warmly.
Ashore the temperatures weren’t even dropping from their highs in the 90s. But on the lake with the wind out of the northwest around 5-8 mph, it was pleasent; and it was just enough to fill the sails. I glided easily up the lake. The water gurgled gently as the bow of the boat parted it.
It felt peaceful. I felt peaceful. I felt at peace.
Later, when twilight fled, the moon could only slightly brightened things up. What few boats on the water turned on their lights. The wind picked up a bit as I headed back to the cove in which I keep Cassandra. Just a few hours on the water. A very nice few hours.
I thank G-d for those few hours with Him on the lake. He restores my soul.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life. . .
Psalm 23:2-3
“Hear my Singing, O G-d. Listen to my Prayer,” says King David
Hear my singing, O G-d,
listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!
Selah
For you, O G-d, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
Prolong the life of the king;
may his years endure to all generations!
May he be enthroned forever before G-d;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
So will I ever sing praises to your Name,
as I perform my vows day after day.
—Psalm 61
This brief psalm of King David “speaks of the sense of security that faith affords a person under any and all circumstances. It reminds a person that wherever he finds himself on earth, and when he faces situations of uncertainty, he can turn to the Almighty in prayer and find comfort in the knowledge that the fate of all men rests in His hands. As David declares in verse 3, God is capable of lifting a person to heights he never thought attainable; when challenges and hardships seem too difficult to surmount, one can turn to the Almighty and rely on His ability to lift him over even the most formidable obstacles.” —Daily Tehillim
I will awake the dawn!
My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer me.
—Psalm 108.1-6
We must learn how to praise God from David’s example:
1. With fixed heart.
2. With freeness of expression.
3. With affection– lively, but not carelessly.
4. Publically.
5. With magnification of God’s mercy and truth
—Matthew Henry
Ebola Update
The following is an update on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Anita Femiano, from Renewal Ministries Fellowship, is in regular contact with pastors throughout Africa and Asia who have provided a wealth of information.
“When we unite together in prayer even the worst, most terrible situations can be transformed into testimonies of praise. We are beginning to hear such testimonies from Liberia and Sierra Leone, nations that have been so devastated by the Ebola outbreak.
“In May 2014 Ebola was spread from Guinea to the city of Kenema in Sierra Leone. A woman turned up at the Kenema hospital with a fever, and was bleeding heavily after a miscarriage. She and 13 others had become infected at the funeral of a ‘traditional healer’ who had been ‘treating’ Ebola victims in neighbouring Guinea. These people had brought the virus into Sierra Leone and it started spreading throughout the nation. As the hospital started collapsing under the weight of the ensuing epidemic the Red Cross built a treatment centre there. Now some of those who have recovered from the virus are returning to the Red Cross treatment centre to be trained to help others suffering from Ebola. As these Ebola survivors were interviewed on a secular radio program each one gave glory to God as they shared that their recovery was due to their prayers and the prayers of their family, friends and church. One young man testified that after he had been diagnosed people gathered to pray for him and he suddenly felt better and went on to recover fully. These ones who have recovered now have some immunity to the disease and so, instead of hiding in fear, they are boldly returning to the very place where they suffered so much and learning to care for others who are now suffering.
“Contrary to all predictions and expectations the Ebola infection rate in Liberia (the country worst hit by this virus) has started declining. There are empty beds in treatment centres and the number of burials has declined. There may be as much as a 25 percent week-on-week reduction in cases in Liberia.
“This does not mean that the crisis is over. Around 4,000 children in Sierra Leone have now lost one or both parents to Ebola. In Monrovia countless children are left orphaned by Ebola, then shunned by neighbours terrified to even touch them. Liberia and Sierra Leone are suffering food shortages (many small farming communities have lost 30-40% of their population so food production has become most difficult) and huge price increases are making life difficult for everyone in these nations. The health systems in both nations have suffered terribly and people are dying of treatable diseases and complicated labours because so much is consumed with Ebola that these health needs are not being met. A decline in the infection rate is not yet a defeat of the disease, it can easily have a resurgence – we need to remain vigilant in our prayers and continue upholding our brothers and sisters in these nations.
“Be encouraged by the ways that God is answering our prayers and keep on praying until we see this disease eliminated and these nations restored.”
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .
Count your Blessings?
In early May, a friend emailed the following to me:
“I was reading something today that Patrick Henry Reardon said:
“Suppose for a moment, that God began taking from us the many things for which we have failed to give thanks. Which of our limbs and faculties would be left? Would I still have my hands and my mind? And what about my loved ones? If God were to take from me all those persons and things for which I have not given thanks, who or what would be left of me?”
“You know…this made me cry and start to thank Him like I never seemed to do before, because I never thought about it as this. We all can think…oh I count my blessings…but do I really?”
I thought about what my friend sent me, and I finally got around this morning to writing her back. I wrote: Hope all is well with you and your husband. I’ve been slacking off lately, and writing only one post a week and letting other things go. I can’t use the excuse that I haven’t the time, as I do. What I have been doing is reading more than I’ve done. I’d love to say it’s been all super spiritual studies, but it hasn’t. There’s a used book store not too far from us and I’ve got several hundred dollars in credit there from having dropped off many of my wife’s professional books a few years ago. From time to time I’d go in there and get a novel or two. A few months ago I went through the shelves and picked titles in the science fiction and mystery/thriller sections, as well as some in the non-fiction section, that sounded interesting. So now I’ve gotten into reading a novel or two a week. I do read slow.
My day’s are still somewhat filled with various projects, in addition to dropping and picking up the two high schoolers. We added about ten yards more of top soil, extending various garden beds this year. We’re adding a small-250 gallon-pond also. The spring rains and cool weather have allowed things to really grow well this year. We hope the summer will be wet and mild, too.
Thanks for all the emails you’ve sent. I read them all with care. This particular one, “Counting our Blessings?” was one that spurred me on to do a lot of thinking. What I had to consider, ponder, is that there are-I confess-lots of things I’m not thankful for at all and would just rather them go away. Yet they don’t. So in those, too, I’m learning, there are reasons for such things to be. I think some times I may be like a child being told to eat his vegetables, and thinking, “I suppose you want me to thank you, Mom, for those?
I did take the opportunity to sail last week on Cassandra, my Cape Dory 25 sailboat that I keep on Lake Lanier. The weather finally warmed up and the winds calmed down to around 10-12 mph with gust only to around 20 or so. I haven’t even cleaned the poor boat up from its winter nap. But for two-and-a-half hours I sailed around the lake just having a grand old time. Only one thing unpleasant occurred: While pulling the starter rope on the small motor I use to go in and out of the marina, I managed to knock my hat off into the water. By the time I got the motor started, the sails furled, and turned around, my favorite hat sank into lake. Oh, well, it was still worth it.
I think the lesson of that day fits right into counting blessings: In then end, even the unpleasant events all fit into the whole is such a way as we’ll eventually conclude that because of Y’shuaJesus, it all has been worth it!
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine upon you all.
Last Night. . .
. . . the remains of the Thanksgiving turkey sat already sliced along side cranberry sauce and stuffing, ready for sandwiches if we ever get hungry again. Earlier we’d shared a quiet meal, just immediate family, as extended family live far away. I drove my son to a friends home, where he’d been invited to share in a fabulous desert his friend’s mom prepared for their Thanksgiving supper. On the drive home I realized my own thankfulness.
Thoughts rattled through my mind of my own high school visit to girl’s home during a holiday. Charlene. She eventually became my first girl friend. I remember that she liked Elvis Presley, had an older brother who’d raced motorcycles. Charlene was a year older, could drive, and had a blue Cadillac. She was sweet and her parents were kind to me. One time when I was visiting her, brother said something or other, to which Charlene said to me, “Don’t mind him, his nose is out of joint.” I said something about no wonder he’s upset if his nose is broken. She laughed. Then gently explained that an out-of-joint nose meant–bad mood. That was a long time ago. I was young. I was immature. I remember there was a song that I liked, that I shared with Charlene, about following a rainbow, following dreams. She asked me if I wanted to follow some rainbow somewhere. I guess I did. We broke up. Eventually I followed the elusive rainbow and discovered there’s no pot at the end of the rainbow, just a rusty kettle, an empty, rusty kettle. It’s so very easy for me to spend moments wallowing in regrets for what i perceive of as bad choices I’ve made. Yet last night, I remembered so fondly G-d’s gift of knowing Charlene, who had invited me to her house one holiday when I was home from military academy, who became someone very special in my life, though she may not have realized it, and whom I hurt just because I was me, am me.
So last night, alone on the drive back home, I found thankfulness in within myself for the true bounty of the Lord’s work in me, in life. I thought how totally blessed I’ve been despite many wrong turns, blind alley ways, dead end streets, I have thought my life’s path has taken. There have been many things I’ve done, many roles I’ve filled. In all, and through all, whether or not I listened, the still voice of G-d spoke to me through His Spirit. The Lord, my G-d, our G-d, has loved me through all my wanderings, meanderings, and loves me yet. And G-d. . .
. . .knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Job 23:10
This morning, early, I am at peace feeling surrounded, encompassed by the grace our Heavenly Father extended to me through His Son, our Savior, our Lord, Y’shuaJesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit. I am blessed, not because of what I’ve done, but because of all the Y’shuaJesus did on my behave. And it is through Y’shuaJesus that I am sealed, my name being written in the Book of Life. Praise the Name of the Lord, Y’shua!
Thank You, Lord.
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .
Finally. . .
. . . a song came on XMRadio’s The Message that used the Lord’s Name, Jesus.
Jesus, Your Presence is Heaven to Me, by Israel & New Breed surprised me with it’s frequent use of the Name of Jesus. Check it out here. Here’s a link to some other of Israel & New Breed videos on Yahoo!
And read the lyrics here.
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .
Seems like fall is here at last
It dropped into the lower fifties last night. The forecast for tomorrow and Friday is a drop into the mid-forties. Even now, mid-afternoon, it is only up to seventy. The humidity is down, too, having dropped into the mid-thirty percent range. More and more pine trees are shedding inner needles, that are now covering the ground. The sycamore has lost most of its leave now, and the elms and maples are rapidly turning reddish brown, and will soon fall too. The wind, which just last week, had been so very calm, is beginning to pick up. And that means nice sailing weather in the afternoons.
These fall days and most of the spring days are my favorite. There’s lots going on, and lots of clean up to do from leaves dropping and plants that need to be trimmed. But is also a time that is less intense, some how. It’s like rushing to get to winter, and now being about to just relax as it approaches.
Yet, I can’t help occasionally thinking about the upcoming winter. Last year we had a very mild, wet winter. I don’t think we had too many freezes, and the garden fared quite well, producing nicely in the spring. But we’ve also had some winters that were stormy and cold. One winter we were shut in for five days while we waited for the ice to melt. Schools and work places all stayed closed that winter week, too.
But, winter isn’t here yet, so there’s no need to be concerned. We’re prepared for whatever comes, believing the Lord Y’shuaJesus will be with us through the mild and the stormy times that may come. Now is the time to enjoy the mild and peaceful days, and give thanks to our Lord.
A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100
Oh, I enjoyed Gigi’s post “Impossible to Repurpose” at Grace is Messy. Check it out.
Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .
Jonah’s Song 