Rainbows

By Pat

God's promise to Noah and his sons in Genesis 9 was a rainbow, which represented God's covenant to HIs people. I think of God and that promise every time I see a rainbow, and it always lifts my spirits and reminds me of God's love for me and His everlasting presence in my life. But rainbows are few and far between, aren't they? So in my everyday comings and goings, I look for the other "rainbows" God sends throughout my day...an unexpected phone call from a friend, just the right song at the right time, words that are just the ones I needed to hear. The way my heart lifts when I see a beautiful tree in bloom, or the smell of a rose. Countless rainbows, with probably countless others that I don't even notice. God doesn't need to shout at us to get out attention. All He has to do is send each of us our own personal rainbows to remind us that we, like Noah, are never out of God's sight or far from His love.

How Is Your Battery?

By Pat

A few weeks ago, the battery in one of our cars died. Instead of buying a new one, my husband found one we had bought a couple of years ago and had never used. It had been sitting in the garage and had been moved from one spot to another, so he thought it would just need to be charged in order to be usable. He hooked it up to a battery charger, and for several days it sat, connected to the charger, but it never regained its full power. Something inside the battery just wasn't right, and all the charging in the world wasn't going to fix it. We ended up having to buy a new battery. This whole episode made me see that, at times, I can also be like that old battery. I can charge myself daily with Bible reading, devotionals and prayer, but if there's something inside that isn't receptive to the charge, meaning my HEART, it just isn't enough. So every day, I ask God to "create in me a new heart and renew a steadfast spirit with me," as David did in Psalm 51:10. If my heart is right, I can receive my daily charge and have a much better walk with God.

Blessings

By Pat

You've blessed us in so many ways
It's hard to count them all;
The sun and moon, the stars that shine,
And creatures great and small.

The flowers in the summertime,
The glistening winter snow.
The magic of the hummingbird
That dashes to and fro.

The power of Your majesty,
Your love that never ends.
The precious bonds of family,
The love of treasured friends.

My Lord, I give you thanks today.
My heart is filled with praise!
I want to walk like Jesus walked
And follow in His ways.

I pray to feel Your spirit, Lord,
In all I say and do,
And help me to remember, God,
All glory goes to You!

Give Your Hopes And Dreams To God

By Pat

On the very first Easter morning, scripture tells us that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb where Jesus had been laid, expecting to find the dead body of the Lord she had loved. (John 20:1) Her hope was gone. She accepted the defeat of the cross and was resigned and saddened. But then something wonderful happened! Mary learned that God had other plans and had performed a miracle!

Aren't we like Mary? All too quickly, we bury the dreams and goals that seem to be unattainable. We allow ourselves to believe that we must accept the challenges in our lives that seem to large to conquer. But sometimes God has other plans. If He can raise Jesus from the dead, He can certainly resurrect the hopes and dreams we had given up for dead! We must learn to trust that, even when things seem the bleakest and hope is gone, God can do anything! We have to believe that God can and does perform miracles, so never bury your dreams. Give them to God!

Let Go

By Pat

My littlle grandchildren, ages two and four and I were outside playing the other day. They were hauling something around in a wagon, but as one was pulling, the other was on the other end, pulling the wagon in the opposite direction. The child who was holding the handle, attempting to pull it properly was yelling "let go!" As I watched them I saw that the wagon had made no progress at all, and it occurred to me how Jesus must feel sometimes. He tell us in Matthew 11:28-30 that He will carry our loads if we bring them to Him, so we as Christians are all too happy to do just that. I don't know about you, but I have a real problem sometimes letting go and allowing Jesus to do what He does best. I make His job harder by hanging on. It would be so much easier for Jesus to handle my burdens if I would simply let go, for He surely doesn't need my help! I can almost hear Him telling me, gently and lovingly, "Child, let it go. I've got it". What a comforting thought! Help me, Lord, to LET GO!!